Healing Sorrows
by Chibi Pluto
Summary: A young woman that loses so much in one night. A man with so little, tries himself against the supremest evil, Lord Voldemort. The two meet unexpectedly, discover secrets, and develop more. Will they be able to stand as one against Voldemort? SSHG
1. Night of Destruction

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Author Notes: (The notes are vital for the first chapter! Please read all of them!)

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Story: Healing Sorrows

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Chapter: Night of Destruction

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Rating: R

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Genre: Romance, Drama, Angst

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Couple: Severus Snape and Hermione Granger

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Setting: Hermione is in her 7th year and 18. Snape is 38 and has been teaching for 18 years.

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Summary: Hermione was stripped of everything she once held dear in one night. She soon begins to close herself away, but is blocked by a professor. Professor Snape. Can he heal the troubled girl? Can she heal him as she learns of the scars of his past? Can they heal each other without falling in love?

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WARNINGS: This story deals with rape and other adult situations. If you feel that you can not handle that, then please do not read this story. Thank you.

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Disclaimer (applies to the entire story): I do not own Harry Potter. That honor is left to whoever has the most money. Which, quite obviously, isn't me. *sniffles* I don't even own the clothes on me. . .My parents do. . .

Feel free to e-mail me at marcie@stny.rr.com if you have any comments, suggestions, etc. Constructive criticism is always appreciated^_^

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"No!"

"No!"

"Please. . ."

"Don't. . ."

"NO!"

The young girl sobbed as another's hands pressed over her body; taking what they so desired. She cried in pain. Her anguished yells echoed through the corridor. But the one on top of her did not relent. He let out a malicious growl.

The girl cried out in pain as he shoved himself deeper into her. Her nails dug into his arms as she tried to get him off of her. Blood slowly trickled down his arms.

A hand slapped her hard against the face. A bright red mark showed on her cheek as the other side of her face hit the hard, cold concrete. She cried out again before the same hand was pressed hard on her mouth. Her face alive with terror, glared at him.

Her attacker leaned close into her face, barely an inch away. His eyes bore deceptively into her pained ones.

"Don't. .speak. . ." His voice was quiet and poisonous. "Wouldn't want anyone to hear, now would we?" A sadistic grin formed on his face before his lips pressed hard onto her bruised ones.

She let out a choking sound before laying still.

"Perfect," He murmured before standing. He cast his eyes on the budding woman whom he had just destroyed. She was getting too cocky for his tastes, so he had done something about it. His gaze continued to ravage the body of the unconscious girl.

"That will teach her," He muttered before stalking off, leaving her in the corridor, alone, nude, and destroyed.

F F F 

Hermione winced as she tried to move. Her body felt like it was in so much pain. It ached and felt sore _everywhere_. Her eyes shot open. She remembered. . .just an hour before. . .he had. .taken her. Taken her innocence, her youth, he had stolen her most precious treasure.

She grimaced as she began to sit up. So much of her hurt - not just her body. She tried to raise her left arm, but failed. It just lay at her side. Broken. She tried to raise her right arm. She succeeded.

She raised her arm to touch her face. It hurt. It felt like her entire face was bruised. She ran her fingers over her lips; they were swollen. A tear ran down her puffy cheek.

"No. . .This couldn't have happened!" She placed her face in her hands. The tears rolled down her face in quiet, successive motions. "No!" Her choked sob ended as she shivered. 

She looked down her herself and gasped. She was nude. The bloody bastard had left alone in a dark corridor after taking everything that meant anything to her.

She looked around and spotted her clothes. Moving as quickly as she could, which wasn't too fast, she got her house robes and put them on. Still shivering, but not from cold, she made her way to her dormitory.

F F F 

Once in her dormitory, Hermione looked at her clock. It was 2:00 am. Perfect. Some amount of sleep she was going to get. She laughed sardonically to her herself; as if she was even going to be able to sleep.

With a pain filled sigh, Hermione climbed into her four poster bed still clothed in her robes and fell into the bed. Closing her eyes, it took her several long moments before she fell into a fitful sleep.

F F F 

"Hermione! Hermione! Wake up!" Urgent voices called out.

Hermione slowly began to open her heavy lidded eyes. "Wha-?" Her bloodshot eyes widened.

"Hermione!" Lavender Brown exclaimed. "What happened?" She stared aghast beside the other two girls whom roomed with Hermione. The three stared at the girl who had been yelling and crying out in her sleep throughout the night. When they had pushed aside the curtains of her bed, what they saw came as a large shock. What they had seen was a girl covered in bruises and cuts with a small amount of blood on her pillow while her hair was caked with it and dirt.

"Are you okay?" Parvati Patil asked in a small voice.

"Y-Yes. . .I'm fine. .I-I fell. ." said Hermione as she sat up in her bed as if to prove she was okay.

"Fell?" questioned Lavender incredulously. "How could all that have happened if you fell?"

"I fell. .down the stairs. . ." She saw their disbelieving faces. ". .While I was carrying my books."

"Oh."

"Are you sure you are okay?" A soft voice questioned. Hermione looked at the owner of the voice. Akasa Latane stood beside the other two girls. Her thin black hair fell to her mid-back with raven strands falling above her amethyst eyes.

"Yes, Akasa, I'm fine. Now if you guys don't mind, I would like to get ready for class." The girls glanced at the clock and rushed to get ready. Only Akasa waited an extra moment to eye Hermione carefully before she also left to get ready.

Hermione sighed and got ready for a long day.

F F F 

Hermione looked at herself in front of the full length mirror in the dormitory. Everyone else had left for classes, but she stayed behind and was alone. She shivered and continued to look at her reflection. She had showered and changed into a fresh set of robes. Her hair was clean. Her clothes were clean. But _she _didn't feel clean. She looked at her image in the mirror and her despair deepened. 

Leaning her forehead lightly against the mirror, she spoke aloud: "Why me?" She whispered.

"Why did I have to be out that late? I shouldn't have lost track of time. . .From now on. . .I will always be back in the common room before late and," She paused, staring at her image. "And I will always carry around my wand. And always be prepared!" She banged her head lightly against the glass before sliding to her knees.

"I shouldn't have made such a mistake. . ." Her soft voice trailed only to her ears. "I shouldn't have trusted him. .let him get so close. . .I should have known!" She cried out, the desperation clear. "With all the threats he had been dropping. . .But I had thought. . .thought that he was just like Malfoy - all talk. But no! He had to. .he had to. . ." She couldn't complete her sentence. "I hate myself. . .such a fool. . ."

She leaned her body against the mirror. She winced. "I need. .to see Madam Pomfrey. . ." She struggled to get up while holding her left arm.

F F F 

"Oh dear child!" Madam Pomfrey exclaimed upon seeing Hermione's beaten face. "What happened?"

Hermione gave her a tired look as she looked around the Hospital Ward. Professor Snape came in holding a crate. _Snape? What is he doing there? _Hermione wondered silently.

"Oh, Severus, you can put that right over here." Madam Pomfrey led him to a table and he set the crate on it. "Thank you for making them so quickly."

Snape ignored the thank you. "How soon will you be needing more, Poppy?"

"Oh. ." She paused for a moment. "Probably in two months."

He nodded before walking to the door. He stood at the threshold for a moment before turning around and looking at Hermione. His expression was unreadable as he took in her appearance. His eyes narrowed ever so slightly before calling Madam Pomfrey over to him.

"Severus? What is it?"

"What happened to Miss Granger?" He asked her quietly enough so Hermione didn't hear.

"I'm not sure, but it looks like she was attacked. I don't think she could have done that herself. . ." She answered, her voice equally as quiet.

"I see," He said before leaving. As soon as he had left, Madam Pomfrey hurried over to Hermione's bedside.

"Now, what happened?" She asked in a straight forward manner as she gently took Hermione's left arm.

"I. ." Her expression was grim as she looked beyond Madam Pomfrey. "I fell down the stairs." She lied.

"I see," She said mimicking Snape's quiet tone. "Well, that fall is going to cost you. You will need to stay here until tomorrow. These injuries will take at least until then to heal." Madam Pomfrey hurried away for a few seconds but promptly returned holding several tools. "Now, have you been hurt in any other places - other than the obvious?"

Hermione looked sadly at the bed sheets she sat on. "A few. . ."

"I see. . ." The mediwitch's tone was quiet once again and prepared herself for a long day's work.

F F F 

"She said she fell down the stairs, but I don't believe it." Madam Pomfrey sipped her tea in the staff room. "She looks like someone attacked her."

"Yes, she does." Severus Snape sat in a straight backed chair. "Did she say anything else to you?"

"When I was getting ready to leave, I went over to her and checked on her one more time. I asked if she was all right; she said she was okay. I turned to leave and she grabbed my sleeve and wouldn't let go." Madam Pomfrey paused, recalling the memory. "Then, she looked at me with such a fierce fright in her eyes that I shuddered. And asked me in this desperate voice not to leave her alone. It seemed that she was so afraid of something that she couldn't stand to be alone." Madam Pomfrey stirred her tea again. "So I stayed with her until she fell asleep. Hermione Granger. . .I've never known her to be so frightened. Something horrible must have happened to her."

Severus nodded. "So, she doesn't know you left?"

"No. I left after I was sure she was asleep. I would have given her a Dreamless Sleep Draught but I didn't remember to when I had the chance."

"Something horrible indeed. . ." Severus murmured. Something flashed through his mind. He stood up abruptly. "Poppy, I need to do something." Without another word he walked out of the room.

Once outside he went to the Hospital Ward as quickly as he could without running. He stood outside the doors for a moment before walking in quietly. The room was quiet. He saw Hermione sleeping in a seemingly eased sleep. He made his way noiselessly to her bed. He sat on the stool beside her bed.

He sat there for several minutes. His eyes took in the sleeping girl. Her rigid form lay straight with her left arm cast over stomach with her right arm covering it, seemingly protecting it. Severus looked at her with a look of worry hidden in the depths of his eyes.

Hermione moved.

Her rigid form moved in spastic moves that seemed to be made in efforts of protecting herself. She cried out in pain. Her cries sounded anguished. Severus leapt from the stool. Her arms flailed. One of them hit Severus.

Her eyes shot open. Snape looked at her aghast. Her terror filled eyes looked at him stunned. Snape took her hand in an effort to calm Hermione down and reseated himself on the stool. The stunned look began to fade from her eyes, but the terror remained.

"P-Professor?" She whispered. When he nodded, she cast herself against his chest, sobbing. "No! Please don't let him come back! Don't let him take me! Please. . ." Her sobs began to weaken as the minutes passed. "Don't let him take me," She whispered, her eyes closing. "Please. . .not again. . ." And she slept.

Snape cradled the girl against his chest until he was sure she was asleep. Then, he laid her back down on the hospital bed. He covered her with the bed sheets before sitting back on the stool. He looked at Hermione. Then he looked at his hand with hers still clasped around it. He sighed. This was going to be a long night.

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AN:

Well, I hope everyone enjoyed the first installment of this story. Be prepared to see more soon! I have some great ideas for this story. Please review! (It is very much appreciated. . .) Also, feel free to give suggestions and what not. You can either email me or post it in your review.

Thanks for reading!


	2. Refusing to Care

Professor Snape left soon after Hermione fell into a deep sleep. He saw Madam Pomfrey hurry in. 

"She's asleep, Poppy, don't worry." His tone was subdued and his features unreadable in the dark ward.

"Thank you, Severus. Did she wake up at all or say anything?"

There was a slightly pained look in Snape's eyes, but she couldn't see it. "No, Miss Granger said nothing and was asleep the entire time." He left the room.

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Hermione woke up abruptly the next morning. She sat up quickly without any pain as she took in the room. Looking quizzically around the room for a few moments, she remembered where she was: The Hospital Ward.

She placed her hand on her forehead and slid it backwards through her hair. It was matted and sticky and moved begrudgingly. Hermione sighed. She seemed healed, she might as well leave.

She swung her legs over the bed and stood up.

"Miss Granger? Are you feeling better?" Madam Pomfrey asked and pressed the back of her hand to Hermione's forehead.

"Yes, I am fine." She said weakly.

"Sticky. .slightly warm. ." Madam Pomfrey murmured.

"Really! Please, Madam Pomfrey, I have to go. I have classes," said Hermione hurriedly.

"Are you sure?" The mediwitch's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Your temperature felt off and you seemed to be sweating in your sleep."

"That was just because I had dumped a glass of water on my face by accident." Hermione straightened her robes and began to walk towards the exit of the ward. "Really, I am quite fine, Madam Pomfrey. Thank you for helping me." She called over her shoulder before leaving.

Madam Pomfrey gazed worriedly after her. "That girl is in for trouble if she keeps up like this. . ." 

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Hermione walked swiftly away from the Hospital Ward before stopping and leaning against a stone wall. She was breathing deeply.

"This can't be happening. . .It still _hurts_ so much!" She whimpered softly. She closed her eyes. "I need to stop this now. . .nip it in the bud. . ." 

"Nip what in the bud, Miss Granger?"

Hermione's eyes flew open. They widened with recognition.

"P-Professor Snape!"

"Well, despite the fact I really am quite pleased that you know my name, Miss Granger, but class is about to start. I highly suggest you hurry," His tone was quiet and unhurried and Hermione stared after him as he walked away just as silently as he had come.

Her eyes followed his movement. The gentle swish of his robes. His stern posture. His raven hair falling down the nape of his neck.

She blushed. She couldn't be thinking about him this way! He was her _professor!_ Nevertheless, she cast one more glance after him and hurried to her dormitory to change for class.

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Lowering herself into her seat, Hermione allowed herself several deep breaths. She had just ran all the way to her dormitory, changed, washed up, got her books, and ran to her first class: Transfiguration. 

Since she was in her seventh year at Hogwarts, she had certain responsibilities. For one, she had to choose an appropriate career. The second thing she had to do was choose the appropriate N.E.W.T. (Nastily Exhausting Wizarding Tests) courses leading up to that career. She, however, had no idea which career to chose. So she took Transifguration, Defense Against the Dark Arts (DADA), Charms, Potions, and Muggle Studies - all at N.E.W.T. level. So far she had been able to receive an 'O' for Outstanding in all the classes.

But that still left her in an odd spot. She had no idea which career best suited her. Sure, she would do great in many, but which did she _want_? So far she had considered being a charm breaker for Gringotts, but then realized that being with goblins all day wouldn't make for a nice career. She had also considered being a Witch-Muggle inter-consultant. Her Muggle Studies class would come in handy for that as well as her Muggle heritage. She would be ideal for the job. But she had always had a small fancy of being a teacher. She had thought it a wonderful idea to be able to teach at Hogwarts, the legendary school of witchcraft and wizardy. But-

Professor Mcgonagall stood behind her desk and cleared her throat. She walked around to the front of it.

"Everyone, open your books to Chapter 6 and begin reading it. And please put out your homework." She added before walking through the classroom, collecting the homework.

The hour long class passed very slowly for Hermione. She sat staring at her book. She turned the pages at regular intervals, but did not read it. Her mind was on other matters. The other night. . .

She gave an involuntary shiver. The way she felt when he. . .She rubbed her temples. He certainly did as he intended to: Ruined her life.

She bit back a sob and tried to focus on her reading.

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"Transfiguring into a larger animal requires a great deal more effort and therefore, the one wishing to change must. . ."

Her book drawled on. How was she supposed to pay attention to this - this utterly boring and useless material? And here she thought it would be good to take for a N.E.W.T.s class. . .

Glowering at her textbook, she turned the page. Only another minute left. . .

Professor Mcgonagall dismissed the class and Hermione left quickly, ignoring her friends and peers.

She got to her next class in plenty of time. However, it was her unfortunate lack of memory to remember it was Potions.

Hermione's senses felt heightened as she walked as confidently as she could to her seat. She sat straight and looked forward, her uneasiness was evident to those with a trained eye.

Graham Pritchard noticed Hermione's behavior and smiled. He had done well. He taught her a lesson that she would never forget.

Hermione suddenly looked at him. Her eyes showed an empty and hollow look. They shined with sudden, unshed tears. The voices of her chattering peers around her rushed together. They became one, loud blaring noise that seemed to only be drowned out by the cruel truth in Graham's smile.

Professor Snape entered the classroom. The class immediately quieted. Snape made his way to the front his classroom. His feet clapped the stone floor with a steady firmness.

Snape stood in front of the class. His gaze moved over the class, landing on one of his Slytherins: Graham Pritchard. He seemed to be looking particularly hostile at someone, like he had the venom to back up what his gaze said.

Snape followed Graham's gaze to his apparent victim. Hermione. Snape looked impassively at the hollow look the young woman's eyes held. He had never seen her eyes like that before. . .They had always seemed so _cheerful_ and full of life. Now they held an obvious emptiness. 

Snape's hand curled into a fist. He cut a glare at Graham who immediately recoiled his attentions at Hermione and smiled gleefully at the professor. Snape's knuckles whitened. He didn't know much about what was going on, but he did know that he didn't like it! With his temper soaring, Snape ruthlessly taught the class to make a new potion. Every now and then he caught Graham eyeing Hermione, he immediately distracted the boy by pointing out something wrong with his potion and stepping between the two pupils.

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Hermione looked into her bubbling cauldron. There was a sticky peach-colored mass inside it. She heard a _'tsk-tsk'_ and saw Snape standing behind her, examining the contents of her cauldron. 

Though he was not all that of a tall man, when measured next to Hermione he was about the right height to rest his chin on her head, though he did not. He eyed her cauldron, something must be disturbing her more than he thought, it was a rather rare time when she made a mistake in his class (or any classes, for that matter).

He grimaced. Despite the way he had always treated her (and other Gryfindors), he held her in high respect - after all, this was his Potions N.E.W.T. class, wasn't it? Few students made it to this level, usually only Ravenclaws and Slytherins. He now held in his class five Ravenclaws, four Slytherins, and one Gryfindor - Hermione. She was the first Gryfindor to make it into the second level of his N.E.W.T. Potions class in years. 

But, he supposed, he could have known that from the beginning. From the special glitter in her eyes to her eagerness and innocence - She was bound to be a prized pupil - Even in his class. He could always tell from the very first class. He knew who could become true Potions' Masters. 

Although she was not one of them. Yes, she could brew simple and complex potions, but she did not believe in what came behind it. A wizard's or witch's power influences the potion that they are brewing - for better or worse. But that and the ingredients did not contribute the most to a well-brewed potion. What contributed the most was the wizard's or witch's _state of mind_. When it came down to it, if you did not believe in it to the very tendrils of the beginning when it was first made, then there were many potions you would never be able to create.

In his N.E.W.T.s class, Hermione's state of mind didn't matter. Why? His class did not require a student to create a potion at that level. So, she could brew all the 'simple' potions she pleased. But until she could make one such as the Wolfsbane, she would never have the ability to become a true Potions Master. However, until she reached her limit she could brew many potions at the complexity level of the Polyjuice Potion, though he suspected even she would have a difficult time with that potion.

Focusing his thoughts on her current potion, he realized that it was not at all what it was supposed to be. She was supposed to brew the Triagad Potion (it grows extra limbs on the one who takes just the smallest sip). But she had not brewed the Triagad Potion, she had brewed an entirely different one: The Saloge Potion. That one removes scars.

She made a potion that removed scars. . .He hadn't even taught that potion yet. Not that it was a difficult potion, it was one in the same class of the one she was supposed to be brewing.

"Miss Granger," He began silkily, but quickly changed his tone to an annoyed one. "What potion have you taken the selection of brewing?"

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Hermione stared into her cauldron. This wasn't what she was supposed to be brewing. . .This was an entirely different potion. Was she really that out of it? She couldn't even brew a simple potion?

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C'mon Hermione, Snape is right there. If he catches you messing up, everyone will know something is wrong. . .that. .that will give. .him_. .the satisfaction of knowing he's getting to you._

I can't do that! I can't let him know what he is doing to me! 

Her thoughts whirled before she replied in a haughty voice, "The Saloge Potion."

"I see, Miss Granger, are you aware that today we are brewing the Triagad Potion," His question was more of a statement.

"Yes."

"And why did you take it upon yourself to brew something entirely different?" By now everyone was looking at her and Snape. Hermione began to feel self conscious. .liked she was nude in front of the entire class. She suppressed a shuddered and responded in kind to Snape.

"It was simply my preference of the day." If she could get out of the position by acting like the class joke without the class knowing she didn't intentionally make the mistake, then all would be good.

"Your preference?" He looked amused. "And since when do the pupils of my classes decide what they will do during the duration of the class?"

Her eyes became cold and her lips set into a fine line. "Since I so chose so." One of the Slytherins almost laughed but turned it into a choking sound. Hermione dared not look at who it was, she could tell just from the sound that it was Graham.

A glint had entered Professor Snape's eyes. "Miss Granger, in this class you do as I say - nothing else. I would have thought that with six previous years of this class, you would have known, but, alas, some never learn." Snape's manner was cruel, but nevertheless, calculating. "You will serve detention today, at 8:00 pm., is that understood?"

Hermione nodded and held her tongue. In spite of what she felt at the current moment, he was right. She was acting out of line. But she hadn't meant to brew the wrong potion, it had been an accident. 

Gritting her teeth, she watched Snape wave his wand and her potion disappeared. He then walked around the room, inspecting the other student potions while Hermione stood there. She stood there anxiously waiting for the class to end so she could get out of Snape's critical eye and Graham's haunting one.

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AN:

O_o Wow. I never expected to get that many reviews for just the first chapter of a story. That's definitely a first. Can't say that I don't like it, thought :D Thanks so much for reviewing everyone! It really meant a lot to me and helped me get this chapter out sooner. Thanks!

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Lorelei: Ahh. . .my first review for the fic! Thanks for taking a chance on the story!

**cosmicangel2001****: **Yeah, I can't wait for Hermione and Sevvy to get together either. Though I warn you, it might take a little while. . .But it's worth the wait, right?^_^

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Tiffie101: Thanks. I will try to update as often as I can.

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**Angelus Griffin****: **lol. Very cute^^ Anyway, as I'm sure you can see, the person who raped her was Graham. 

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**dama-de-tinieblas****: **Intriguing. . .Interesting. . .What wonderful compliments! Thanks!

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Tonya: Thanks for saying that my descriptions are realistic. You have no idea how hard I have been working on them to make them that way. That really meant a lot to me, thanks.

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Taya: Sorry about the over-used plot line. . .I didn't realize there were so many fics out there with a similar plot line with the rape. I've never read one like that. However, there are others that I have read that are similar in the idea that Severus and Hermione help each other. Akasa Latane. . .Well, of course I love her name^_^ But she is in the fic for a purpose too. But I'm not going to disclose of that yet.


	3. Beginning To Break Her Barriers

Hermione Granger knocked on the door. She heard a 'Come in' and entered. Inside was Professor Snape's Potions classroom. It seemed different then normal. Usually there were loud noises coming from both the students and the cauldrons, but now it seemed empty. Except for Professor Snape, of course.

He sat behind his desk scribbling something on a piece of parchment. 

He looked up, "Ahh, Miss Granger, such a pleasure to see you once this day." Though his voice wasn't silky, it clearly sounded superior.

Hermione said nothing but stood in the threshold and looked stolidly at him. He met her squarely in the face.

"Not as chatty now, I see."

She said nothing, but a hidden contempt began to rise in her eyes.

"Well, since you seem concerned about not speaking to me, then we shall get down to business." He walked around the front of his desk to the cauldron on the other side of the room.

"Miss Granger, you are to brew the Triagad Potion," He gestured toward the cauldron. "After you have finished, put a sample in a vial," He gestured toward the small crate of vials on the desk next to the cauldron. "Then, come to me and I will tell you what to do next."

Hermione said nothing but simply walked over to the cauldron and began the work. She worked in silence for the next hour. Her mind felt clouded and was pleased that it was such a simple potion so she didn't have to think about it. It was also lucky that she knew the ingredients, Snape didn't give any instructions. From the glint in his eyes she suspected that he had expected her to asked for his help. She did not.

Instead, she focused enough on the matter at hand so as not to create an entirely different potion again. Snape seemed mildly amused by this. He also seemed amused by the bitterness that seemed to surround the young woman.

She seemed to be concentrating on nothing at all, barely even the potion. He did not expect that. He knew that she studied a lot, but even if she didn't ask him for directions then he thought that she should at least need to _concentrate_ on the task. But, no, she seemed off in her own world, not minding his presence nor the complexity of the potion.

He ground his teeth. Normally she was much more attentive then this, no matter how simple the task was. She was always meticulous. So, why wasn't she like that today? First, she had fumbled in class and created a different potion he hadn't taught, and now she isn't even paying attention what she is doing.

She seemed to start acting differently when Graham Pritchard assumed an even more all-knowing-I-am-God behavior. Even if the boy was in Slytherin, Snape still held him in poor regard. He considered Graham a disgrace to his house and Graham seemed intent on proving that only bad wizards and witches came out of the house. 

And it seemed that he had demonstrated that to Hermione. Snape's eyes narrowed at the young woman working with his back to him. All through class today Graham seemed intent on doing something to Hermione, and she had shed away so much that she created the wrong potion. What could Graham have meant with his facial expressions that caused his best pupil to become so frightened? 

Snape's expression softened slightly. Perhaps even small things get to the best of people? Well, yes, that was true, but he was positive that there was nothing 'small' about this. Disturbing. Yes, he thought, disturbing was the best way to describe the questionable situation.

Snape looked at the clock: 9:05 pm. She should be done. He cast a glance at her direction and was not surprised to see her slipping a bit of the potion into a vial. Even with her lack of concentration, she seemed to have performed the task correctly and without error. Snape looked at her as she approached him with the small vial in her fragile grasp.

Fragile. . .

He had never, before this time, considered anything about her fragile. She always seemed so strong and determined. Now, she seemed lifeless, that same empty look floating in her features. She walked over to him - no bounce in her step.

"Professor Snape." 

No life in her voice.

"I have finished."

No challenge backing her voice. Timid. That was the perfect word to describe her, now.

"Professor?"

Snape jerked hastily from his thoughts. He was staring at her, assessing her, he realized. With a momentary glance in her direction, he realized she knew it to. Looking back at his paper he let himself speak in a slow manner.

"Miss Granger, what do you need now?" He tried to sound annoyed.

"I have finished making the potion," She repeated sullenly. Even though she picked up on the fact that she had repeated herself and that her professor was purposely baiting her, she did not feel the need to react.

"I see," He looked up at her. Still, he saw nothing in her features that showed even a flicker of recognition of her former self. "Now, the rest of your assignment is to make a month's supply of the Saloge Potion you seem so fond of." His voice was curt and he immediately returned to grading the essays he had had the class write the previous day.

Hermione's face fell. That would take at least another two hours. It would be past eleven by the time she left. She felt a vivid strand of fury stir within her.

"Professor," She fought to keep her temper under control. "Why do you want me to brew an entire month's supply of the potion?"

Snape looked at her before he lowered his gaze once again to the papers.

"I need not explain my reasons to you."

"B-But - " She felt close to tears at his curt refusal to even answer her question.

"Please, Miss Granger, no buts. Just do the work."

"Professor Snape!" She said sharply, her temper finally erupting. "Why do you need me to make the bloody potion?" She clamped her mouth shut as she realized she almost yelled at her professor.

"Miss Granger," Snape began curtly. "How dare you question what I do. You are here to serve detention. I assign the task. You do it. My pardons, but I thought someone of your intellect could understand something so simple."

Hermione cowered slightly, but she did not relent. No, she needed this. She needed to do _something_ to stop herself from going crazy.

"Professor Snape, all I asked was why you needed me to make a potion! It wasn't a difficult question! I thought someone of _your_ intellect could manage to answer such a simple question!" She felt herself erupting, the tension of the previous few days finally coming into view.

"Miss Granger, despite what you may have previously believed, I do not answer to a pupil. You will serve another detention tomorrow for not learning to hold your tongue!" He thundered.

"Y-You. . ." She seethed, unable to say anymore. She began to slowly make her way back to the cauldron.

Snape waved his hand, dismissing anymore of the conversation. "I guess I shouldn't expect some Muggle-born witch to understand - "

She flew around, her robes skirting up slighting. Her eyes were narrow with contempt. "What were you going to say? '_Some Muggle-born witch_?! Care to finish that, Snape?" Hermione began to swiftly lose all concept of simple formalities and reality itself.

Snape's eyes narrowed. Finally, this was going the way he wanted it to. He replied with the same vigor she had interrupted his statement with.

"What I was saying, before you interrupted me, was that I didn't expect _some Muggle-born witch_ to understand the workings of a society - magic, magic or otherwise. I believe that you have demonstrated my belief that Muggle-borns are far beneath - " But he was not able to continue. Hermione stalked over to his desk and slammed her hands on it and glared at him.

"Care to finish _that_ illogical statement? How were you going to end it? Are Muggle-borns beneath _real_ wizards? _Real_ witches? _Yourself?!"_ The hot glare she sent him became more livid while inside she became more distraught.

Snape chuckled. Her face faulted for the briefest of moments. "Oh my dear. . ." He said sarcastically. "It seems that one of my pupils has finally found out the truth about me! Whatever shall I do!" He tilted his head cockily.

Hermione's hands turned into fists as she felt her limit nearing. Struggling to get herself under control, she glared at the whitening knuckles on her hands.

"Snape," She hissed. "Don't play games with me. I am not a person who falls into such traps so easily."

"Wrong." He said simply. "You may be a person who firmly believes that, but as a student, and a _mudblood_," Hermione's temper flared and felt her right fist trying to move jerkily at Snape. He saw this but continued. "You will always be so ill-fated as to fall into anything I or any other _superior_ _pure-blood wizard_ sets for you!"

That was it.

The last of her defenses were torn down.

All that was left was her naked soul gleaming under the hatred of Snape's maniacal smile.

She felt her vulnerability and felt everything crack and fall apart around her and she wound up her arm and. . .

Her fist contacted with her professor's face.

___________

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AN:

Well, I must say that I had quite a bit of fun writing this, so I was able to write it a lot faster than normal. Which means *grins* you guys get the chapters faster^_^ I must say, I really am enjoying writing this fic. For my first HP fic, it seems to be quite successful. Actually, I have never had a fic before that was this successful. Thanks for all your reviews, they really give me some great inspiration!

Olivier-Killand-Wood: Don't worry, I will^^

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Taya: Ahh. . .I know exactly how those "server is too busy, please come back later things" feel. I get so annoyed by them sometimes, too. / / I didn't take your comment as an insult or anything like that. It is just that I do like to create unique plots myself, so I wasn't thoroughly pleased that so many others had had the idea. But *shrugs* Oh well, that's life. You win some n' you lose some :P / / Enough of praising me? *grins* Now why ever would you do that?^_~ Your own works. . .actually, I was just looking at them and saw that you had some Sevvy/Hermione fics. I better check them out :D Gotta love those fics!

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cosmicangel2001: Man, you guys are going to run me ragged writing this chapters so quickly! But, I can't say that I don't enjoy it! You reviewers seem to be the best muse out there.

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Jade: Were you surprised by the way the detention turned out? I kinda was. . .

Dirty Kisses: lol. Wait until you see the rest of the story. You will learn *much* more about Graham.

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Tiffie101: Thanks for the compliments^_^

dama-de-tinieblas: lol. Did I update soon enough?

The One and Only: One of the _best_ stories you have read? Well, I must say that I am quite pleased with hearing that. Thanks.

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Andrian: Yes, I find that it is definitely the _way_ you tell a story that shows how good it is, (a lot of the time) regardless of the plotline. / / As for Graham's motives. . .I have been hinting towards them, but the hints I have been dropping aren't for the real reason he did it. That shall remain a secret. For now.


	4. Crying All Night

__

I hit him. I just punched my professor. . .

Oh no. . .

Thoughts sped rapidly through Hermione's mind as she backed away in shock and dismay. She covered her face that was already wet with tears streaming down it. 

__

And Snape, no less!

Surely she would be expelled for this. . .

Hermione's stomach tumbled at the thought of all her hard work being thrown out. All the years she had worked so hard for, gone. Gone. Down the drain. 

__

Gone.

More salty trails formed on her face.

She stumbled clumsily backwards into a desk that halted her. She stared at her professor. He held his hand to his left eye, nursing it gently. A dark coloring was beginning to form around it.

"Miss Hermione Granger," He began softly, with a slight edge. Hermione cowered. Another caustic remark. . .She expected no less from him. But to be honest, she thought she deserved it this time, but didn't feel as if she could handle it. No, not after all that had been through in the past few days. Not after _that night_.

Hermione felt a hot heat rush to her face in a surge of anger and self pity. She grinded her teeth. First that bastard doing _that_, then her own professor taunting her. Would no one give her a break?

"Do you feel better?" Professor Snape asked; his voice had lost all edge, it was a simple, unreadable tone. His voice startled her out of her brief reverie.

"Pro. .Professor?" She looked at him startled. There was no way he could be taking this this easily. She had just punched her professor! And Snape, of all professors! With one of the other professors she could have at least stood a chance at staying in Hogwarts, but not with _him_. The man known for his extreme dislike to Gryffindors and Harry Potter. She was a true Gryffindor _and_ she was Harry's best friend - like icing on a cake for him.

"Do you feel better?" He asked patiently. She gazed wide-eyed at him as he stood up and calmly walked over to his cabinet. "Hermione Granger: Top student in her year for all seven years, prefect in her 5th year, turned down the Head Girl position to study," Snape paused as he took a potion out of the cabinet and drank it. The black eye that was forming around his eye immediately disappeared. "She is an extraordinary student and person, and has a great amount of self control. So, my question for you is: _What happened?"_

Hermione's hand covered her mouth. "P-Professor? What do you mean?" Her voice was shaky and nervous. Apart from his question. . ._Did he just say what she thought he said?_ Her eyes widened.

"Exactly what I said. What happened? You tend to be more calm and have a great deal more self restraint, yet you just assaulted a professor." Hermione's stomach felt uneasy as the grim reality hit her full force, again, in the face. "I am a rather observant person, Miss Granger. I notice things about my students that you wouldn't expect a professor to know." Snape began to walk over to Hermione. He stopped a foot before her. "Hermione, something happened to you," He said softly. "_But what?"_

Hermione tried to take a step back, but the desk halted her once again. She looked up at him, he gazed at her with dark eyes. "I-I don't know what you are talking about!" She yelled but the tears on her face belied her words.

Snape looked at her. He just looked at her. He didn't say anything. His face was perfectly readable to one trained in such and it shocked Hermione. It seemed to be one of genuine concern. . .

"Professor. .what do you know?" She whispered, the fear in her voice evident.

"Nothing, Miss Granger, nothing." A tone so honest. . .

"Then. .why should I tell you?" She asked him hoarsely.

"It will make you feel better," He said simply. He continued to look at her straight in the eye.

"How - How do you know what will make me feel better?" She asked accusingly.

"Miss Granger - Hermione - Everyone goes through difficult times in their lives, you went through one - I can tell. It would make you feel better to tell someone."

"Are you sure?" Her voice was barely audible. Snape gave a small nod. 

Hermione felt more tears well in her eyes. She felt her heart pump furiously in her chest, threatening to escape. Hermione's breath came in rapid gasps. No. . .he couldn't be nice, kind, understanding. . .he couldn't! Then, before she realized what she was doing, she threw herself at the man in front of her. No longer did he seem like the malicious Professor Snape who favored Slytherins. No, not to Hermione. He now appeared to her as a man. A man to whom she could tell her feelings to. A man whom understood her.

Snape held the young woman sobbing against his chest. She shifted her weight onto him and he collapsed to his knees, still holding her crying form.

And through her sobs, she told him her story. . .

__________

Snape leaned against his desk, his eyes closed. Hermione still lay against him, her head still buried against his chest. However, her crying and story had long since ended and she had slipped into a semi-restful sleep. Snape sighed softly in his own sleep. 

"Severus."

Snape's eyes opened as if he hadn't been asleep.

"Albus."

"Did you do it?"

He nodded.

"I suppose I should have known upon walking in," Dumbledore surveyed the scene again. Snape sat on the ground propped up against his desk with Hermione's head buried into his chest and sprawled around and on him. A small chuckle escaped Dumbledore. To think Snape could have such a soft touch. . .

Snape sighed wearily. "Why me?"

"You have the touch," Dumbledore said quietly with some amusement in his voice. "You were the most fit for the job."

"I see." He let out a barely audible grunt.

"Was it difficult to get her to tell you?"

"It was trying at the beginning, at first I didn't think she would. But she gave in and started crying and told me what happened." The slightly pained look on Severus's face told Dumbledore that the story he heard wasn't one that he was expecting.

"What happened?" The slight amusement in his voice was lost.

"Later, Albus, I will tell you later." He said softly as Hermione stirred. Dumbledore nodded and left the room.

Severus Snape rested his head up against the hard wooden desk. He hadn't quite expected things to turn out this way. He knew it would be difficult and she would probably be mad, but he didn't expect to get a shiner and end up on the stone floor with her on top of him. 

No, it was definitely not what he expected.

Sighing once more, he leaned his head against the desk and let himself drift into an awkward, deep sleep.

__________

"Wha - ?" Hermione sat up abruptly, ignoring the throbbing in her head. She looked around with a slightly dazed expression. Her eyes landed on Snape. For a moment, he sparked a small fury but it was quickly extinguished as she remembered everything he did for her.

He listened. . .He _understood._

Hermione surveyed his sleeping form for several moments before realizing that her hand still rested on his stomach. She blushed and removed it.

__

Hard.

A deeper scarlet overtook her face as she realized something about her professor.

__

He has a hard stomach.

Hermione stood up suddenly. She shouldn't be thinking that. She shouldn't even be in the position to _know _that! She moved several steps away. He wasn't moving, it looked like he was asleep.

__

He stayed like that. . .

"For me?" Her thoughts were voiced in a quiet whisper. She checked her watch. It was still early. She didn't have to be in the Great Hall for at least an hour.

Hermione looked at him skeptically. His chest rose and fell in steady intervals. She gazed at the strong contours of his face. His strong cheekbones curving around his mouth and dipping into his chin. . . Hermione's gaze stopped abruptly and she looked elsewhere in the room.

Did he really lie on the floor with her on top of him all night? With her crying into his shirt? Listening to her story? A pitiful schoolgirl's problems. . .

She shuddered. Perhaps she should wake him up. Reaching down, her fingertips barely grazed his shoulder when his eyes snapped open. Hermione blinked and backed away so suddenly that she fell.

Snape looked at her quizzically for a moment before realization hit him and he stood up. He put out his hand as if to help her up for a moment before lowering it back down to his side.

"Are you going to get up?" He asked unpleasantly. His stern face formed a thin frown as he looked at her.

Hermione stood up and took a step back so she wasn't so close to him.

"Now, if you don't mind," He said with a sneer. "I would like to prepare for my classes. Leave," He said, leaving no room for the misconception that what he said was a suggestion but a demand.

Hermione's confusion lasted for only a few moments before she quickly left the room.

She continued to walk quickly until she was a fair distance from the classroom. She stopped.

What had she done during the night?

__

I told him. .about. .that night. But. .did I tell him who did it?

Hermione struggled to remember what she told him and vigorously shook her head.

__

No! I didn't tell him who it was! Good. . .then I won't have to worry about having any other problems with Graham.

A relieved sigh came from Hermione as she continued her walk to her dormitory. She stepped through the portrait hole and into the common room. No one else was there. She smiled. No one to deal with as to why she was just getting in. Hurrying to her dormitory, she opened the heavy door slowly and peered in. It was dark. It was silent.

__

Good. They're asleep. Now, I just need to - 

"Hermione!" Lavender hissed in her ear. "Are you just getting in?"

Panic almost struck Hermione but she held it back with years of practice in lying.

"No, I just remembered that I left something in the library."

Lavender accepted the reason and walked away to get ready for classes. Hermione smiled faintly as she remembered how early Lavender got up to get ready for classes. According to Lavender there was never supposed to be a day where the "most admired girl doesn't look her best!" Hermione fought back a snicker and headed towards the shower.

She undressed and stepped into the shower of water. She closed her eyes and felt the warmth wash over her. 

__

This has been the first time in the past few days that I have felt this warm_._

Hermione's eyes opened, slowly focusing on the tiled wall in front of her.

__

No. . .

This is the second time. Last night. . .I felt so warm and secure in his arms. . .He let me tell him my story and I felt this odd sensation in my chest. Like. .I'm not even sure how to describe it!

Squeezing a palm-full of shampoo into her hand, she massaged it into her deep brown hair. Scrubbing the scented liquid into the thick locks, she allowed her mind to wander. 

She allowed herself to think about the previous night and the one which she lost so much. . .

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AN:

Hey all! I hope you enjoyed this chapter! It took me forever to write and I kept making so many adjustments, but I wanted it to be write. This chapter sets a lot of the groundwork for the rest of the story. Anyway, I'm also really sorry about how long it took me to get it out. But there was a really bad storm here a few days ago and part of this (rather large) tree went down in my backyard. So guess what I had to do? That's right, help pick it everything up. That includes really heavy branches. *groans* Not something I want to do again in the future. So, besides picking up branches and losing power (lucky us *sarcasm*) I also have to do 90hours of research this summer for my science class. Well, about half the summer is over right? Guess how many hours I have in - less than 15. Goodie. I have a lot of work for next month.

ANYWAYS! Now that I'm done making excuses and whatnot, I will work on the next chapter as soon as I can. And thankies for the reviews :D I love 'em!


	5. Caught

"Hey, what happened at detention last night?" Harry asked Hermione at breakfast the next morning.

Hermione placed an egg on her plate. "Nothing much, just his usual self."

Ron snickered. "Figures. The greasy git doesn't even have a personality in detention."

"When did you get back?" Harry, the more observing of the two, noticed the dark bags under her eyes.

Hermione stifled a yawn and groaned. "Really late. I didn't even have a chance to get started on tomorrow's homework!" She exaggerated and took out a book. The two boys sweatdropped and left her alone. She looked flipped through her book and couldn't help but be amused. Her two best friends didn't even know when she lied to them. Not that she enjoyed lying to them. . .But she couldn't tell them about last night, now could she?

Hermione finished her breakfast and walked to class with Harry and Ron. They were talking about Qudditich.

__

Good. Then they don't expect me to talk. I hate Qudditich.

She allowed herself to become wrapped up in her own thoughts, but they soon arrived at their Charms class. Hermione seated herself beside Harry with Ron on the other side of him. 

And so began their lesson. . .

Hermione was bored during it because she had already learned to do the charm in her previous year.

"So much for a challenge," She muttered under her breath and flicked her wand, successfully performing the Zilius Charm.

Harry looked at her. "Did you say something?"

Before Hermione could reply, Ron gasped. "How did you do that on the first try?! I've been trying all morning!" He whined.

Hermione smiled. If nothing else, she could count on her friends to make her laugh.

"It's alright, Ron, just do this," She flicked her wand and the candle in front her became covered in ice with the flame still burning from within.

Ron narrowed his eyes at her movements, watching her carefully. He stuck his tongue out on the corner of his mouth and flicked his wand. The candle became covered in ice, but the flame went out. Ron glared daggers at the candle. Hermione laughed. He glared at her.

"You're only laughing because you can do it!" He muttered before returning his glare to the candle.

Harry grinned and attempted to do the charm himself, but, like Ron, failed. However, Harry wasn't nearly as spiteful. Hermione smiled and tried to show Ron again but he kept muttering, so she gave up and showed Harry.

By the end of class Harry was able to perform the charm without the flame going completely out and Ron had taught himself a few choice phrases about the Zilius Charm. . .

Hermione looked at the two talking about Qudditich (again) and smiled to herself. She really did have good friends. . .She was a lucky person.

It's just a shame they were as blind as bats when it came to understanding her. If she made any effort whatsoever to conceal her emotions, they would never see what she was hiding. And she had too much pride to just come out and tell them. And if she blurted something out that made her seem mad about something, it was attributed to her monthly.

The trio proceed to their Defense Against the Dark Arts class. And, as usual, they learned absolutely nothing. It wasn't that they didn't have a competent teacher, it was just that they knew everything. Battling Lord Voldemort so many times would do that. They had had to learn counter curses, charms, and other spells to fight Voldemort. So, now they knew everything that was offered at the highest level of the DADA class.

And, as usual, the class passed with each falling into their own dream-like state of boredom. Sometimes Hermione could see Harry and Ron playing various games on a piece of paper they passed back and forth; they once tried to include her in it in one of their previous years, but she had scolded them so badly they never asked again.

But, now, she didn't feel the need to concentrate on her studies nearly as much. She almost wished they would include her. Almost. She still didn't approve of _completely _ignoring the professor. You never know, you might learn something. . .She suppressed a giggle. Like any of the three of them would learn something they didn't already know and had used in a duel.

Leaning back in her chair, she absently began doodling on a piece of parchment.

__________

"Hermione, are you going?" 

"What? Going where?"

"To the Qudditich game! Don't tell me you forgot!" Ron looked horrorstricken.

She smiled at him. "Have I ever missed one?"

"Well, you missed a couple in our second year. . ."

Hermione playfully pushed Ron. "Being frozen by a Basilisk doesn't give me a freebie to miss a game?"

Ron laughed. "No! You should have still come!"

Hermione let out an exaggerated sigh and began walking over to her dormitory. She paused and called over her shoulder, "Do you have time to wait for me? I just need to get changed."

"I have to get ready too. Will you be long?"

"No, I'll be fast." 

And so she was, Hermione hurried up and the stairs as Ron waited in the common room, already talking to someone else about Qudditich.

"I'm here!" She said breathlessly, now wearing heavier clothes that required a lot of buttons. . .Ron looked at her started walking towards the door. Hermione threw a cloak around her and followed him.

"Do you guys have any plans for beating them? Ravenclaw, right?" She asked Ron as they walked through the building.

"Yeah, me and Harry were able to come up with some good plays, but we're saving most of them for when we play Slytherin. Ravenclaw will be easy to beat."

Hermione nodded and was soon walking by herself to the Qudditich pitch. Ron had to go change in the locker rooms. She tugged the cloak tighter around her and quickened her pace. She didn't like being alone. . .

Ignoring the slight bite to the wind, she hurried over to the Gryffindor stands, but someone stopped her before she got there. Someone's fingertips just barely grazed her shoulder before she spun around, wand out.

"Hey! Don't go pointing that at me!"

Her eyes narrowed. She definitely didn't want to see him again, especially so soon.

Graham chuckled. "What? Don't want to put your wand away? Afraid of me?" This time he snickered. "You should be," He began to stride away. "You never know when it might happen again."

He left Hermione standing alone before the Gryffindor stands. She shivered, but not from the cold.

"Hermione!" Lavender and Parvati ran over to her with Akasa trailing behind them.

"Did you save any seats?"

Hermione shook her head. "I just got here."

"Oh! Then come on! We need to get some seats!" Lavender grabbed her hand and together the four girls ran all the way till they found four seats.

"There," Parvati sat down. "We got some seats. It's starting!" Lavender and Parvati immediately started giggling and pointing at various male players. Hermione looked at them as if they weren't human.

"They don't even like the sport, they just like watching the boys," Akasa whispered in Hermione's ear. Hermione chuckled and nodded, then turned her attention to the Qudditich pitch.

It felt as long and as boring to Hermione as DADA class, except this time she had no parchment to doodle on. . .However, this time she did busy herself with watching the referee. It was Professor Snape.

She watched his fluid movements as he maneuvered his broomstick throughout the field. She watched as he made sharp, sudden turns to avoid hitting players and vice versa. She watched him make a dive to avoid a handful of players shooting towards a quaffle that had wandered near him. She watched his robes billow around him as he made calls that no one dared challenge. She watched as he looked around the stands, then, suddenly, his gaze rested on her. She stared at him and he stared back, then her eyes widened. He caught onto what she saw and quickly moved out of the path of a bludger and two beaters chasing after it.

And then, the game ended too quickly for Hermione. She cheered when they had won. She gave her congratulations to Ron and Harry when they had made their way to the common room, talking about nothing other than the Qudditich game. They reached the portrait when suddenly Hermione had remembered something.

"Oh no!" Hermione exclaimed.

Harry and Ron looked at her. "What?"

"I forgot my notebook in the library! I need to go get it!" Without another word, she turned around and walked quickly down the dark corridors to the library. It took her a few minutes, but she got there soon. Stepping into the darkened room she immediately spotted her notebook, picked it up, and headed out.

"Where do you think you are going?" A cold voice stopped her dead in her tracks.

"No. . ." She whispered and hugged the notebook tightly to her chest.

"Hermione Granger," An amused chuckle came from behind her. She spun around and came face to face with Graham, she began to draw her wand, he stopped her by clasping a cold hand over her wrist tightly. "What were you planning to do with that?"

Hermione struggled to get out of his grasp but couldn't, not while holding onto her notebook and glaring at him at the same time.

"I'm waiting. What were you going to do with it? Were you actually going to try and _hurt _me?" His face twisted into a sadistic smile.

Hermione's stomach flipped inside of her before she gathered her courage and spun into action. She hit Graham in the face with her notebook book then brought her knee up to his stomach. Hard. He fell for a short enough moment for Hermione to dislodge her wrist from his hold. She broke into a run that was cut all to short for Graham had quickly got back up and shoved her into a stone wall and held her there. He held each of her upper arms tightly. She felt herself bruising.

"No! She let out in a choked gasp, her eyes tearing as stars exploded in front of her eyes. Her head had hit the wall. But, no, she mustn't lose consciousness, she mustn't! Graham's grip tightened on her and he leaned next to her ear and prepared to whisper something, but he was suddenly stopped and let go of her immediately.

"P-Professor!" He choked out.

Professor Snape stood before the two, glaring icily at Graham. 


	6. Not All Bruises Fade

Hermione leaned shakily against the stone wall in the Potions classroom. 

__

That didn't happen. . .That didn't happen. . .It couldn't have! Her mind whispered repeatedly to herself.

She drew her arms in front of her and hugged herself tightly.

"It couldn't have. . ." She whispered as her mind dived into the previous events.

****

(AN: Hermione's memory picks up when Graham has trapped her in the library :AN)

__

I can't believe this is happening! Not again. . .I can feel his warm breath on my ear. And I can smell it too. . .Not good. I hear the beginnings of a whisper. Some disgusting comment, I bet! But, after that. . he will. .he will! No! I feel tears slide down my face and hear a small gasp from him.

Then his grip on me loosens. .no. .it's completely gone! What's happening? I spin around and find Graham now several feet away from me, staring wide-eyed at Professor Snape.

"Professor Snape!" I gasp. How did he know what was going on? He couldn't have! Not even I knew, until it was too late. . .I lean my back against the cold stone. This is getting to be too much.

"Miss Granger, Mister Pritchard, may I ask what is going on?" Why does he always do that? He always says something in the form of a question but that's the last thing it is.

"Nothing, Sir," Graham says. Gee, nothing? Bastard. I shoot an icy glare at him. 

"Miss Granger, what about you, is 'nothing' going on?" Oops. I think he saw that glare - Wait. Look at his eyes. . .They seem so knowing. _He knows what's going on, I know he does. But how did he know it was going to happen? He can't be psychic, not with his obvious, ahem, distaste towards Professor Trelawney. However, that one time, he did say he observed more than most. .Noticed more than most. . ._

He must have been watching Graham. It must have been so obvious to him. It should have been obvious to me. With the way he kept on looking _and _smiling _at me. . .I clutch my arms to myself. All of the sudden it feels so cold, with Graham's glare and Snape's. . .Snape isn't glaring at me, he has that same look in his eyes - though, buried rather much deeper this time so most won't see it - He looks _concerned_. _

He seems so intent on something. I wonder what it is.

"Nothing, Professor Snape." He doesn't believe me. Nobody would. Not with the position he walked in on us in, and how weak my voice sounded. I wouldn't believe myself.

Professor Snape stiffens. Yes, evidently he doesn't believe us - Why am I not surprised?

"Are you two sure you wish to proceed with that story?" He doesn't sound happy. Why is he looking at Graham like that? He couldn't possibly know about what he did. . .I don't want anymore trouble. . .

"Professor, really, nothing was going on. I was just. .trying to tell Hermione something," You know, Graham is really horrible at lying. Even I did better than that.

"Miss Granger, would you care to explain what was going on, as I am quite sure it was more than 'nothing.' " Oh. . .Why does he look at me like that? It really is quite unnerving.

"Professor, h-he is right. Nothing was going on. Honest." I take that back. Graham is a better liar than me.

Snape's eyes narrow briefly at me. He knows. He always knows when a person is lying. I wonder if its occulmency. . .No. He wouldn't do that - at least, I hope not.

"10 points from Slytherin and Gryffindor for lying to me. And another ten points for being caught in a compromising position." Hey! I didn't exactly have much of a say in that 'position'! "Mister Pritchard, return to your dormitory at once."

Graham looks at him uneasily and quickly leaves the room. Well, it looks like he doesn't need telling twice. Git.

Professor Snape looks at me with his dark eyes shining clearly in the darkness. Wow, that's almost creepy, well, if they didn't look so sexy. Oh! I can't go around thinking about my professor _like that!_

"Follow me." He says then leaves the room with his robes sweeping around him. I guess I don't have much of a choice but to follow, I don't think he would be very happy if I didn't follow.

He keeps walking until he stands before the Potions classroom.

He pushes the door open and steps inside, I follow.

"Miss Granger, now that Mister Pritchard is not here to influence you, what were you two doing before I walked in?"

Oh no. Oh no. Oh no. This isn't good. Why couldn't I have just gone to my dormitory? Why is he doing this to me? Why is he looking at me like that? He seems so intent on something. . .I just want to be out of this nightmare. It isn't fun. It never was fun. I want out!

"Professor?" That's good. Sound weak. Sound tired. Perfect. "May I go to my dormitory? I'm feeling rather tired." Yes. Not even he can deny that.

"No. Tell me what happened." Bastard. I can't tell you. You know that, I know you do. And for some odd reason, I seem to think that you know exactly _what has been going on._

"I'm sorry, Professor, but I can not." I say meekly.

"Why not? At least answer me that." Since when does he take anything less than what he asks for? I seem to be learning an awful lot about Professor Snape. . .What other secrets does he have?

"I. .I can't." Why do I feel like I'm ready to cry? "It's complicated."

"I am not a simple-minded fool, Miss Granger. I assure you, I can understand what you want to say." His eyes. . .They seem so intent again.

"You should know," Wait! Why am I saying this? I can't. I can't! I can't! _"You should know exactly what has been going on." My voice is so quiet. . .Why am I telling him this? Oh. .My eyes are burning, I'm going to cry again. No! Not in front of him! I am _not_ that weak!_

"What I do and do not know is not that subject of this conversation. The subject is you and what is happening to you."

Bastard. I swear all men are bastards. But, I feel like I should tell him. But he knows enough! Remember, the other night, when I cried so hard. . .He knows enough!

"Professor Snape, what you know is part of the topic of conversation because it ties into me. Please don't play word games with me. I really do not think that I am up to par as of this moment."

"No games," He says softly. "That I can and will agree to, if you tell me the truth."

You know. . .for being such a studious student, I really should be able to come up with a different word other than 'bastard' to describe him. Though, it is quite fitting, ne?

"Fine," I sigh, irritated. "Graham did it. You know he did. I know he did. But, please," I look at him with pleading eyes. "Don't do anything about it. I can handle it. I can handle Graham. Please, don't make this more complicated," I whisper.

He looks at me. He looks at me with eyes that can see everything and show no one what he sees. His eyes seem to clear.

"Miss Granger, I am bound by my duty as a professor at this teaching institution to inform Professor Dumbledore of what has occurred and who is behind it." Shit. "But," But? "I am also bound by other, overriding, duties to not create any more turbulence and tension. So, for the moment, I shall keep your secret and no one shall be informed of what has happened." He really is going to keep the secret? Snape keeps secrets? Figures, his whole seems to be a secret.

WAIT!

What does he mean by 'create more turbulence and tension'? What is he hiding? I narrow my eyes. He's not getting away with it that easily.

"What are you hiding?" I ask sharply.

"Leave, Miss Granger. Your presence is no longer necessary here," He turns around and begins walking to his desk.

"No. Tell me what is going on," When did I get this brazen?

"Leave! Or more points shall be deducted from Gryffindor!" His voice his sharp and strong, but I am stubborn.

"No! Tell me!"

"Miss Granger," He growls, "You are becoming a nuisance."

"I don't care," I glare determinedly at his back. "You are hiding something that I should know."

He turns around and faces me once more, glowering. "Twenty points from Gryffindor," He says softly.

"Points mean nothing compared to what you are hiding, that much is obvious."

His face softens from a glare to mere blankness. "What I am keeping from you must not be told to anyone, including yourself. Stay there." He walks out of the room and into his office.

Hermione closed her eyes. She had just told her teacher who had raped her. She had just tried to force her teacher to tell her confidential information. She had also just been caught with Graham in the library, with him attempting to. . .No, she wouldn't think about it. She can't think about it all the time. No.

Professor Snape walked back into the classroom; he was holding a small vial with a green liquid in it.

"Roll up your arm sleeves," Snape said.

"What? Why?" Hermione looks at him confused.

"Just do it," He demanded not unkindly, but not kindly either.

Hermione eyed him skeptically, then gave in - she had been opposing him too much today anyways. With a little struggle she rolled up her thick sleeves and her eyes widened briefly. There were large bruises over her upper arms. 

"That's what I thought," Snape said gruffly.

Hermione looked at him absently. She had forgotten how tightly Graham had grabbed her, not unlike the first time.

"Take this," He handed her the vial.

"What is it?" She asked, taking the vial.

"It is a potion that will make the bruises go away, I took the same potion after you had hit me the other night." Snape said, but didn't sound like he was accusing her of anything. But Hermione still felt guilt knead her stomach as she swallowed the disgusting tasting liquid, nearly spitting it out, surprised by the vial taste.

She waited a few moments before looking at her once wounded arms.

"They're gone," She said softly.

__________

AN:

Wow, I didn't expect to write this this quickly. Pretty good. I did go over and edit the last chapter, I just changed a few things and made it flow better. I didn't add any new scenes or anything.

And, of course, thanks for all your reviews!


	7. Hidden Strength

Severus Snape stared at the ceiling in his quarters. It had been the same usual night for him. He had been out prowling the corridors for any students up past curfew. He had caught only two Ravenclaws who seemed to think they were clever enough to be out so late. But Snape had found them and they would each be serving detention the next night. He had caught the two in the library edging towards the Restricted Section. It wasn't the first time he had caught students over there, it was just the first time the students seemed so intent on getting there, like they had some kind of _right _or _purpose _to be there. 

Snape scoffed. Students had no reason to be in such places. Not where there was so much information on Dark Magic. . .Snape narrowed his eyes. It had been such a long time since he had been in the section himself, though there were few times where he pure intentions for being there.

"Dark Magic," He muttered. "Students shouldn't be learning it," He closed his eyes. "No more should throw away their lives so young," He drifted to sleep without tossing or turning, or thinking about the past events of his life. No, he had grown much to use to his memories for that. Instead he slept quietly through the night with a soft, vulnerable expression on his face.

__________

Albus Dumbledore peered into a tall, gold-trimmed mirror. The mirror showed him what he needed to know. But it only showed him the present, nothing more, nothing less. Dumbledore gazed into its depths and calmed himself. Some things would never change, including what haunts a person.

"Severus," His voice was controlled and his face depicted nothing less than what he wanted it to. "Your nightmares, you have learned not to cry out in them. Though you learned to do so so long ago."

Dumbledore seemed to peer deeper before speaking to himself again. "The same nightmares, perhaps there will be day when they don't torment you anymore and when your own scar ceases to burn."

__________

"Cis Tarnan!" Professor Dasper said. And, quickly after he said the phrase, Lavender Brown's wand came shooting out of her hand and into Professor Dasper's.

He held up the wand. "And that is a version of the Summoning Charm. It is specifically made to summon your opponent's wand. However," He paused briefly. "To use this charm and have it work, you must be stronger than your opponent or be completely concentrated on a thought to make it work."

Professor Dasper looked at his class, waiting for a response. The tall man with neatly placed brown hair and chocolate eyes sighed inwardly. Ever since he had begun teaching at Hogwarts there had seemed to be few students interested in the Defense Against the Dark Arts class. Even though that statement only held true for the N.E.W.T.s classes, the younger and more inexperienced pupils were eager to learn about curses and duels and the such, Professor Dasper still did not like not having the attention of all his students.

Professor Dasper strode over to Lavender and returned her wand. He walked back to the front of the classroom and assessed the students. Yes, he would definitely be able to use the charm on most of the students of the class, but would someone be able to use it on him? He normally would have doubted it, but he knew the history, like everyone else, of one certain student. Harry Potter. 

He looked at Harry Potter and thought that it would be an easy matter for the still-growing wizard to perform the charm on him. He shifted his gaze to another student, he didn't want to make a mockery of himself and lose the little respect from his class that he had. Dasper looked to another wizard on the left side of Harry. The two seemed to be playing some sort of game. . .Dasper was mildly irritated for moment before he remembered that he used to do the same thing. . .

The wizard beside Harry was a red-headed one, one that came from the memorable Weasley family. Dasper looked at the wizard that was finally filling out after years of being scraggly. He also looked formidable. He would expect no less from a friend of the great Harry Potter's. Dasper shook his head and moved his gaze once more to the left and saw a young woman with bushy hair sitting beside the Weasley.

Dasper looked at her slightly amused, he knew she was also a close friend of Harry's, but she looked rather frail. She looked like a weak witch. 

__

A weak witch. .Perfect. Dasper thought and pointed to Hermione Granger.

"You, please come up here." The witch looked slightly startled but obliged.

She stood before him slightly confused. "What?"

"Miss Granger, I have decided to see if a student can counteract the variation of the Summoning Charm. Would you like to try?"

"I guess." Her voice was despondent. Yes, she definitely seemed weak enough so Dasper could provide an example to the class.

"Good. Now all you have to do is concentrate on keeping your wand, and I will concentrate on the opposite. If the charm works then I will have your wand," He stated as if there was no alternative. He had no doubt in his mind that he was a stronger wizard than she was a witch.

"Ready?" She nodded. "On the count of three."

"One." He readied himself into position, as she watched him dully. _Too easy, I should have gone with a stronger student, _he thought.

"Two." He put his wand out and she tensed slightly, her grip on her wand tightening.

"Three!" The tension could be felt to see if a student could be more possible than a professor. Dasper felt it and felt it his time to gain a little more respect from the class. Hermione watched him with her eyes clouded, concentrating on something else. She didn't want to be here. She didn't want to be anywhere near here, doing this. She wanted to be in her dormitory, sleeping. . .

"Cis Tarnan!" He shouted put his energy into his own wand. He felt the power flow from his finger tips and into his wand, spreading to the very tip. He watched as he felt his own power tried to take the wand from Hermione, but she held on tightly. Both Hermione and Dasper watched as nothing happened. 

Absolutely nothing.

The wand remained in Hermione's hand as her eyes widened. She had just resisted an attack performed by her professor. She was more powerful than her professor. . .

Harry and Ron had looked up from their game and watched Hermione. They had seen the effort their professor had put into the attack, more than enough to take away a normal student's wand. But Hermione's remained. She held on tightly to her wand and the two wizards resumed playing their game. They had known all along that Hermione would keep her wand. After all, why wouldn't they? They had certainly seen her fight beside them enough times.

Professor Dasper looked at Hermione filled with a mixture of shock and awe. A student had just shown him that he was weaker than her. A mere witch that was still coming into her powers, and she had defeated him, a full-grown wizard.

"Professor Dasper? Is it all right if I sit down now?" Hermione felt the eyes of everyone in the classroom on her. Oh would she hear this from everyone later. All the gossip. All the rumors. All the _attention. _She never did like having a lot of attention from her peers. They always seemed so. . .caught up in their own world. They never seemed to realize what was going on in the real world. That any second Lord Voldemort could attack. That Death Eaters could easily attack their families. Her classmates never seemed to realize how short and demanding life could really be.

"Y-Yes, Miss Granger, please have a seat." Professor Dasper straightened the cuff of his shirt before addressing the class again.

"As you can see, class, Miss Granger has demonstrated how you can resist the charm when you focus completely on a special thought. Miss Granger, you were obviously very focused on how you counteracted, would you please tell us what you were concentrating on?" Dasper asked in hopes of saving some of his dignity.

Hermione blushed slightly. "I don't think that matters." She looked at her desk.

Dasper hid a grin. Perfect, she must have been concentrating on something extremely strongly to have beaten him. After all, she was only a weak child playing with magic, now wasn't she?

"If you please, Miss Granger, it will help the class to understand the way to better counteract the charm."

Harry and Ron each covered snickers with a cough. They had both seen how much Hermione hadn't been paying attention when their professor had performed the charm.

"I was. . ."

"Now, now, don't be shy."

"I wasn't really concentrating. I was thinking of being back in the dormitory, sleeping." She said shyly casting a quick glare at Harry and Ron that seemed to be coughing an awful lot. . .

Professor Dasper looked dumbstruck for a moment.

__

One little witch. . .one weak little witch. . . Thoughts spurred through the professor's mind as he tried to recover his dignity.

"So class, as you can see, Miss Granger demonstrated that if you have your mind thoroughly set on something like sleeping when you are fatigued, you can accomplish the impossible." Dasper gave Hermione a smile which seemed slightly jealous to her.

Hermione looked at the teacher fighting to glare at him. According to her, professors weren't supposed to lie. Lucky for her temper and her professor's nervousness that the class ended soon.

As soon as the trio made their way outside the classroom, Harry and Ron began laughing. 

"Did you see the look on his face?"

"Did you see how embarrassed he was?"

"What about how surprised he looked!"

The two continued on to their next class with their laughter slowly dying down. Hermione looked at them only a little disgruntled; after all, she was used to them. They had always enjoyed mocking any teachers they saw fit. They particularly enjoyed mocking all the DADA teachers (except Lupin, of course) and the Potions Master. Hermione had never approved and rarely joined in except for when they had had Professor Umbridge as their DADA professor. She remembered how chaotic that had been. . .

Feeling a little more cheerful she headed towards her next class.

__________

Hermione sat through her next class in utter boredom. Muggle Studies. She had dropped it after her third year and then picked it back up again in her fifth year. She had thought she could have catch up easily enough; and she did, and she also went soaring past what they taught in the N.E.W.T. levels. Maybe being a Muggle-born witch did come in handy. . .

Either way, she knew far more than what the class taught. The only reason that she was taking it was to have the class at N.E.W.T. level on her record so that she may have any job she pleases that deals with Muggles and wizards.

But no matter which way you sliced it, she still thought the class was boring. No longer did she consider everything a professor said complete and absolute. Her eagerness to earn her professors' phrases had died down quite a bit and Hermione acted just like every other student except she stayed awake during class and still had the highest marks in her year.

As she looked at her professor with polite interest sketched on her face, she allowed her mind to travel - but not too far. 

There were certain places that her mind never traveled even if her heart did. . .

Hermione knew this and drew out a piece of parchment with a poem on it. Hermione knew that there were many odd things in the wizarding world. Such as the parchment in front of her. She had come across the parchment one day and it had immediately began writing words on itself. Since then it had added a line or two to the poem when it saw fit. But even after having had it since in the beginning of the school year, it still seemed unfinished. Hermione read the poem once more and noticed there was a new line at the very bottom. The beginning of a new verse.

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Secrets of the Forbidden

__

Moonlight spreading through the night sky

Lighting the quiet ground

Spreading to and fro

Setting upon the silent seas

Shedding its brightness to the earth

And into the eyes of two onlookers

With admiration in their depths

Of darkness

That clouds their mind

And hearts

Allowing themselves to only see the light

Never touching its goodness

Letting only dark come near them

If for the best of all

They sacrifice themselves

To see others

Live in happiness

And with innocence

That they think they can only dream of

Not believing

That it can be more than a desire

Until they see each other.

__

___________

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AN:

Wow, this fic has the most reviews out of all my other ones. And, actually, I'm kinda surprised that all you great reviewers review so quickly. It kinda surprises me because I was just looking at the publish date and I published the fic on the 13th. I'm really quite pleased that so many people are enjoying my work. Thank you everyone.

And now I also have an option for you peoples. Would you like more short chapters (1500-2000 words) or would you prefer longer chapters (5000+ words) that you don't get as often as the short ones. I would say you would get a chapter of that length every week or maybe every other week, it depends on my muses - sometimes I forget to put my batteries in them. And when I say 5000+ words, it can go rather high, I guess. Perhaps over 10,000? I dunno. It depends on where there is a good place to leave off.

So what do you think?

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momma-dar: Don't worry, Graham will get what he deserves soon enough^_^

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Queen of Farfarello: Of course. I will try to upload at least one chapter a week.

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Rowa Dreams: Aww. . .Thankies!

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Potions Mistress: First off, I love your name! lol. Second, despite how much *ahem* joy I'm sure Hermione and others would take in that, any type of castration probably wouldn't be best (though highly satisfying)

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dying-star: Ah ha! Constructive criticism! Thanks you so much! Now, all that I ask is that you elaborate. By 'sketchy and confusing' do you mean the plotline? Setting? Something else?

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prantis: Yup, I try to reserve more than enough time to get each chapter written. Bet you're happy to see this chapter out so soon to, lol.

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Anarane Anwamane: Thanks.

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Maddie: All updated :D

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dude: I'm glad you like Snape. I'm trying to portray him simiarly to the way J.K. Rowling did while still showing he has a life, feelings, etc.

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lady: It is going to be some time before this story is completed. However, I will try to work harder to complete it before school starts.

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Mia: Thanks. Hope you enjoyed the chapter.

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Angelus Griffin: 'Great mistress of the quill'? I like that! You are forgiven. lol. You don't have to worry about me incurring my wrath upon you. ;D


	8. Encounter

Hermione thought about the day, it had been a long one. She remembered how boring and long her classes had seemed to her, except one. . .Her Potions class was starting to seem remarkably different than her previous years at Hogwarts. It seemed to her that Professor Snape was beginning to act quite differently towards her, but it was nothing big. Just the small things. . .

Like not having as much venom in his voice when he reprimanded her for helping out her fellow students, except Neville. He seemed to accept the fact that if she didn't help him Neville out periodically that he wouldn't have a classroom any more. . .

But there was something else different about him too. He kept deducting points with such ferocity, that it surprised Hermione. And the way he kept rubbing his left arm. . .And glancing at her. . .

Hermione's eyes widened slightly. She was concerned about him. . .She was watching him so closely that she noticed he rubbed his left arm an awful lot. But that couldn't be. Not with the way he hated Gryffindor's and anyone who had anything to do with Harry. Was she beginning to fancy such a narrow and judgmental man?!

Hermione curled her fingers tightly. It didn't make sense. None of it did. She couldn't be after her teacher. But she had felt so safe and secure in his arms. . .The way he had held when she had cried had made her feel so warm, like she might melt. 

But he was her _Professor_! Her mind tried to argue common sense into her.

__

But no other man had every made her feel so safe! Not even Harry or Ron! So what if he was her professor, so what if he was a narrow and vindictive man?! When it comes down to it, **that doesn't matter**, other parts of her argued back.

Teacher/student relationships are highly inappropriate.

__

Yeah, well, so is constantly fighting Voldemort.

That's not the same thing. There is no way a _true _love can exist between two people who are so far apart in their ages.

__

What about her grandparents? That had each lived until they were 74 years old. Her grandmother was ten years older than her grandfather, yet they still loved each other deeply. Even when her grandmother died at 74, her grandfather chose not to court and marry anyone else. He chose to remain physically alone, because he believed her spirit was always with him. And he believed that until he died ten years later, on the anniversary of his wife's death.

It's different. It wasn't a student/teacher relationship.

Hermione let out an exasperated yell in her dormitory and slumped into a chair. She shouldn't even be considering this. . .Hermione sighed and calmed her mind. She needed to do something, and before she knew it, she was standing by the fireplace.

Hermione's fingertips grazed the mantle over the fireplace in her dormitory. A soft dust covered her fingertips. The room needed to be organized (the house elves did the cleaning, they did the organizing), but it wasn't her turn to do it. It was Akasa's. Hermione walked over to the high bookshelf by her bed. She was bored and alone in the dormitory, she should probably read or do her homework. But she had done all her homework and she had read a fair amount of her books. But there always seemed to be one that she hadn't read.

Hermione assumed this was either because she had brought more books than she thought or because her house elf, Winky, whom she had befriended, left her books. It certainly be the first time the house elf had left her things. Winky seemed to admire her very much. Not only because she was a close friend of Harry Potter, but because one night Hermione had walked in one Winky crying while cleaning the dormitory. The elf had been a bit tipsy and Hermione comforted the best she could and offered tea to the elf. Then the elf had looked up at her with her large eyes wide with newfound respect. 

After that time, Hermione would occasionally find new books, uniquely scented soaps, and maybe a flower every now and then. Sometimes Winky would come and talk to her, but that was infrequent and rare. What happened more often was Hermione walked in on Winky supposedly still cleaning. The house elf had quite a bit of pride and would allow Hermione to start the small talk before she dared to ask questions and show a little more of herself.

Hermione would smile and offer a seat to the house elf across from her own by the fireplace. Winky had only accepted the offer one previous time and she had looked down the cup of tea she had held and didn't ask any questions. Hermione had felt bad, feeling like she had forced Winky to do something that she didn't want to. But Hermione knew better. The house elf didn't feel that she was good enough to look at her in the eye, much less accept a cup of tea and a seat that would place her as an equal to Hermione. Hermione guessed that that was breaking every rule in the book to Winky.

Either way the two had become fond of each other. So, Hermione would also lay out a gift for Winky every now and then. But even though she laid out gifts, she never gave the house elf clothes. No, Harry had told her in their sixth year that the house elves resented it. Ever since then Hermione had rethought her priorities with S.P.E.W. and gave up on the organization. House elves enjoyed their lives and all she had been doing was making them angry. Hermione had felt a little guilty, but her intentions had been good and she Winky told her that the house elves had forgiven her when they realized she was only trying to help.

Hermione picked a small book off her bookshelf. Though the book was small it still had about 300 pages; a quick read for Hermione. Hermione smiled at the extravagant cover on the book and settled down into a large, scarlet chair with claw-like arms by the fireplace.

This book was from Winky. Hermione never brought Muggle books to Hogwarts, and Winky seemed kind enough to notice that Hermione desired nice fiction books where she didn't need to learn everything it was comprised of. Winky was a thoughtful one, she recognized that Hermione studied too much and too often, and the small house elf seemed to understand that Hermione needed an escape from reality every now and then, too. But Hermione had no idea how Winky got Muggle books. Nevertheless, she enjoyed them immensely. Her very own refuge from reality. . .

A smile still played on Hermione's lips as she shifted herself to a more comfortable position and indulged herself with the Romance novel.

___________

A hour later Akasa came into the dormitory. She set her books down on her bed and walked over to her dresser. She took a black band off the top of it and pulled her hair up into a ponytail. She saw Hermione reading a book by the fire that was crackling, it was probably comforting sound to Hermione. She smiled at the girl who didn't notice her entrance and went over and tapped her on the shoulder. Hermione jumped and turned her head from the book.

"Akasa!"

"Nice seeing you too," She chuckled. "What is it about?" She asked, pointing to the book.

"Oh. .nothing," Hermione stood up and smiled. "I'll get out of your way."

"You can stay if you like. You know how hard of a time I can have telling the difference from Parvati's stuff and Lavender's things. Want to help?"

Hermione looked at her novel and placed it back on her bookshelf. "Yeah, I have nothing else to do."

The two young witches then began to go through the belongings scattered throughout the room and bathroom. They worked hard organizing the room. It was another solid hour before the finished.

"Hey, thanks, Hermione. It would have never been done this quickly if you hadn't helped." Akasa slumped into the other large chair across from the one Hermione also slumped in.

"I wonder how we always we get so messy. But it is mostly Parvati's and Lavender's. They should be the one cleaning every time!" Hermione complained.

"Yeah, I wonder whose fault it is we have to clean," Akasa eyed the brunette mischievously.

Hermione looked at her innocently. "I don't know what you mean, Akasa, surely neither of us are at fault. . ."

"Oh Hermione, have you forgotten so soon? Here, let me enlighten you. In our fifth year, you were so crazy about S.P.E.W. and house elf rights, that you decided that they should only do minimal cleaning. So you talked everyone in this room into picking up their own belongings so the elves didn't have to guess where everything went. But Parvati and Lavender didn't completely like that idea - remember anything now? So, they decided to have one person pick up everyone's things every week. This was my week, which means Parvati goes next week. Then Lavender, then you. Remember?" Akasa asked in such a sweet voice that Hermione felt slightly queasy.

"Oh. .that. .Guess I forgot. . ." Hermione said smiling.

"It's okay. I forgive you." She said pleasantly and self-righteously.

Both girls burst out laughing. Akasa had been the one who had backed Hermione up in helping the elves out in their dormitory. She was also the only other one she had told about Winky. People weren't supposed to know which house elves took care of their rooms. They were supposed to be 'not seen and not heard' - a saying about house elves quite similar to one about Muggle children.

Their laughter soon died down as they looked at the clock.

"Wow, it's late," Hermione murmured, locking her arms around her knees which were brought up to her chest.

"Yeah, it is," Akasa agreed. "Are you going to bed now?"

Hermione nodded. "I don't like going out this late. . ." Her eyes took on a forlorn look as she gazed into the fire.

"Hermione, are you okay?" A concerned voice entered her sudden and intrusive thoughts that depicted horrid scenes.

"I'm fine," Hermione managed a weak smile.

"Are you sure you don't want to go out? What about just down to the common room? Fancy a game of chess?" Akasa asked cheerfully.

"I don't. ."

"Oh, come on! Please! No one ever plays chess with me!" Akasa pleaded, her amethyst peering in Hermione's. Hermione suppressed a shudder as she glanced away from Akasa's dark eyes.

"I'll see you down there in five?" Hermione said, trying to keep the regretful sound from her voice.

"I'll go set it up!" Akasa hopped from her chair and headed eagerly downstairs to the common room.

Hermione uncurled herself and walked over to her mirror. It wasn't the first time she had stood before it and looked at herself; her sad and self-pitying self. She shot a look of distaste at the mirror. It wasn't her fault! She didn't have a choice in the matter! It's not like she _waited _in the corridor. She had simply received a note from a 'secret admirer'. She glared at the mirror. Some admirer.

A silly note. A silly desire. A frightful experience. A real life consequence. A young woman reduced to a tarnished school girl.

Hermione stared hard at the mirror. She had had other difficult experiences, but none had affected her quite as much as this one had. None them had also affected her as closely and directed. Someone had been out to get her. The person had obviously planned everything well enough to know her weaknesses. She had never dated much, and had lusted for a male's companionship. Graham had known. . .and he had acted. Not only had he watched her and marked out his plan, he had acted upon it and was willing to do so again.

But he hadn't been successful the second time.

The thought struck Hermione hard. _He hadn't been successful. . .! _He had tried and failed. He was making mistakes - and getting caught. Snape had caught him in the library last time, and now he knew the entire story. The way he had held her when she had first told him. . .The way he had acted when she told him her attacker's identity. . .The way he had seemed so concerned about her. . .But he had hidden the concern away as quickly as it had come. He had let little out and had immediately locked the little up again. Almost like she wasn't supposed to know. . .

She stared hard into the mirror. Why would he hide something like that? To know that someone was so concerned about her would make her feel better. But, she supposed, she didn't need words. Sometimes expressions and gestures expressed enough. But. . .Snape. .though he was a man who seemed to be one where he would express more than he would say, even she had to doubt him a little bit. 

She had to doubt his sincerity. She had to doubt his efforts. She had to doubt his actions. She had to doubt his eyes. It seemed she had to doubt _everything_ about him. . .

__

Except him.

She watched her own facial expression stretch with surprise. She had no reason to doubt him, but she also had no reason believe him.

__

But plenty to believe in.

Hermione shook her head furiously to clear away forbidden thoughts and went down to the common room.

___________

"Hermione! You're late!" Akasa came running towards. "Hurry, before someone takes our board!" The eager, raven-haired witch dragged her friend across the common room and sat her down in front of a chess board. Hermione looked at it surreptitiously. She was never the biggest fan of wizard chess, then again, she was never the biggest fan of any kind of chess. Her skills at it weren't all that great. It reminded of her flying. . .Hermione winced. There seemed to be several things at which she didn't do too well at. And, just judging from the numerous times she had fallen off her broomstick, flying would be one she could safely count out of her 'Accomplished' category - just like chess.

Hermione plastered a smile on her face in an attempt to also forget about what she had been thinking about before she came down. Her friend grinned back at her, and by the end of the hour, Hermione had only won one of the five games they had played.

Akasa looked sympathetically at her. "It's alright, you will do better next time!" She added with some enthusiasm which died away at Hermione's sour expression.

"When did you get to be so good?" She asked indignantly.

"Some of the guys have been teaching me. Why do you think I have been coming up to the room later?"

"Oh?" She quirked an eyebrow. "_Which _guy has been teaching you?"

Akasa blushed. "N-No one. .really. . "

"Akasa! Tell me!"

Akasa giggled. "Uh uh!" She hurried forward forcing Hermione to speed up.

"Come on! You have to tell me!" She pleaded much like Akasa had done before.

Akasa paused and looked thoughtful for a moment. "Nope!" She started up the stairs.

"Akasa!" Hermione once again hurried forward. 

"All right. .all right. .Can you keep a secret?" She lowered her voice mischievously.

Hermione nodded eagerly. She _had _to know whom one of her closest friends liked.

"Good!" A small smile perked up her face. "So can I!" She ran forward and into the dormitory as Hermione let out an exasperated sigh. Trudging forward she accepted the truth that Akasa wasn't going to tell her.

But what struck her as odd, was not there her friend had found a guy, but that she, Hermione, was so interested in knowing. But it also didn't seem to be out of sheer curiosity - that came from being a teenager. She had felt this surge of protectiveness in her. 

__

Protect you friend. Protect your friend.

That's what her mind had immediately began telling her the instant Akasa had mentioned that there was a guy involved. Hermione supposed that her own experience had been frightening enough to not only protect herself even more but to also protect her friends. 

Hermione stopped her eyes from glistening and firmly opened the door to her dormitory. She couldn't let this get to her. She couldn't let Graham have that kind of power over her. She couldn't!

Besides, the guy Akasa liked was probably a Gryffindor and Gryffindors were supposed to be noble and courageous, right?

Hermione didn't have a chance to answer her own rhetorical question because a loud blaring noise suddenly resounded through the castle.

"Attention!" The blaring began to form into words. Hermione stopped at the threshold of her dormitory. There was rarely an announcement like this. . .

"All students are to return to their dormitories and go to bed at once! All faculty, come at once to the meeting room!" The voice suddenly quieted and the blaring ceased. Hermione stared at Akasa wide-eyed while she looked at Hermione with a sort of numbed expression.

"Akasa, do you have any idea about what's going on?" Her nervous added, "They have never done anything like this before. . ."

"I-I don't know. . ." Akasa looked particularly pale against the black hair that framed her face.

"I guess. . .We should go to bed. . ." Hermione mumbled as she changed into her pajamas.

"Yeah. . ." Akasa's face was blank and her voice empty and her behavior was strange.

"Akasa. .?"

"Hm?" She absently began changing and didn't look at Hermione. And Hermione didn't dare tell her that she was changing into normal, plain black robes. Akasa seemed to be having a difficult time coping with the announcement. . .

"Nothing, never mind. Lavender and Parvati will be up here soon." Hermione noted moments before the two came into the room.

"Do you guys know what's going on?" They both asked at the same time in the same frenzied voice.

"No, we know as much as you, which is evidently, nothing," Hermione climbed into her bed.

"Hurry up and get changed, then go to bed." Akasa's quiet voice kept them from asking further questions.

Akasa whispered '_nox' _when the other three girls were in their beds and closed the drapes that hung around her canopy bed.

Hermione watched Akasa's movements with worry. She had never seen her friend so distracted and she was rarely so serious. Did Akasa know more than she was letting on?

Hermione closed her eyes and attempted to sleep but too many thoughts kept racing through her head. After she had lain there for what seemed like hours, she heard her door creak open so slowly that it hardly made any noise. She didn't hear anyone walking through the room but she saw a moonlit shadow going towards Akasa's bed .

Hermione was wide awake. Who was that person? What were they doing here? How did they get into the Gryffindor house? Why were they going to Akasa's bed?

Hermione squeezed her eyes shut in an effort think clearly. People can't just come and go into their dormitory. First off, only girls can, the boys can't make it up the staircase because it turns to a slick slide. And other people can't go into the Gryffindor house because you need to know the password and know where the entrance is. No one could get into their dormitory unless they were allowed to. . .

__

Sirius did. He got past the Fat Lady, knew where the entrance to the house was, and made it up to Harry and Ron's dormitory!

But he knew where the dormitory was, he was a Gryffindor, She stubbornly argued with herself. _He also stole the passwords from Neville and he had probably slept in the same dormitory as Harry and Ron when he attended Hogwarts!_

Hermione's disagreement with herself only made her more tense. But, soon, her attention was drawn to the shadow, itself. 

"Akasa," The shadow whispered. Hermione scrunched her eyebrows, that voice sounded awfully familiar. One that commanded obedience, not unlike Snape's, however, this one was female. And this one seemed a little more aged.

"I'm here. Is everything ready?" Akasa's voice replied equally as quiet.

"No, there are still more preparations to be made. No one knows anything, right?" The voice whispered urgently.

"No, no one seems to know. Shall we be going, Professor?" Professor? Hermione's quick mind deducted that the shadow in question was not only a professor, but that the person was her very own head of house, Professor Mcgonagall.

Hermione stifled a gasp and tried to make out the shapes even more. She heard the drapes around Akasa's bed move and then be set carefully back in place. The two figures reached the door.

"Are you sure no one knows? You didn't act strangely or anything, did you?" Mcgonagall's voice spoke just as urgently as before.

"I'm sure. I just ensured they all went to bed, that's all. They are all asleep. I have been waiting for hours for you."

"Good. None of them should be involved in this. Though, it isn't Patil and Brown I'm worried about. Neither would think about interfering even if they could. It's Granger that could be a problem. Especially with Potter and Weasley for friends. . ."

Akasa paused. "I don't think she is awake, I probably would have heard her shuffling around or something; she is always really quiet when she sleeps."

"Come on, then." The door creaked open quietly once again and the two figures quickly left the room.

Hermione sat up in her bed, something was happening. Something big. She had to do something. This wasn't a little prank that Harry and Ron would try to rope her into, it was something much bigger than that. And it was obviously something that Mcgonagall was worried about her becoming part of. But what was Mcgonagall always worried about when it came to her, Harry, and Ron?

__

Lord Voldemort.

The answer came to her instantly and she sprang from her bed, throwing aside the drapes. She changed faster than she ever had and ran to keep up with her professor and friend. But even with her quickness and hurrying to catch up, she moved soundlessly - something that years of sneaking through the corridors at night had taught her.

She soon caught up with the two. They were now walking as swiftly and quietly as her. Hermione walked stealthily along, with pressing herself against the wall every time the two dared to turn around and see if anyone was following them.

"What's happening? If everything isn't ready, then why do you need me?" Akasa asked quietly.

"We can't discuss this now, Akasa. What if someone is around?" Mcgonagall's voice replied, but her voice didn't hold the same sternness usually reserved for students. The two witches passed a torch and Hermione saw Akasa nod and resume a silent disposition.

__

Where can they be going? Hermione wondered as she was led through many chambers and corridors that she had never seen nor knew existed before.

But soon enough, Mcgonagall and Akasa stopped before a large, stone eagle.

"This is your last chance. You can still back out," Mcgonagall said stiffly.

"We each have our own parts to play in His defeat. It is finally time all the wizards and witches of this world stepped up and played a hand in defeating him. Professor," Akasa looked at Mcgonagall, with what Hermione caught as fiercely determined eyes, and said, "We have to help defeat Him, it's not enough with what you professors do. Yes, you do quite a lot, I mean, look at what Snape does! I am playing a remarkably small and safe role compared to him."

"_Professor _Snape," Mcgonagall corrected softly before saying 'three finest' and heading up to the headmaster's office.

Hermione held her breath as she watched the two leave. What's going on? Something quite obviously having to with Voldemort. . .Hermione walked up to the eagle, should she go? If anyone ever found out. . .Hermione touched the eagle. The stone statue did not move.

"Three. . ." Hermione began to say the password but stopped. She couldn't go up there. They would know. Whatever was going on, she was certain that Dumbledore was in his office meeting with Akasa, Mcgonagall, and probably the rest of the staff - or at least the ones in the Order. He would, or course, know if she was spying on them.

Hermione backed away from the eagle and hid so she could still see those who entered and exited the office.

Hermione ended up waiting for what seemed like many minutes before there was any movement at the site of the eagle. She had leaned against the stone wall and let her head rest against its coldness, almost letting sleep take her. The sudden churning of the eagle swiveling upwards then downwards, with a passenger this time, shook her into a complete state of awareness. She tried to see who it was in the darkness.

A darkly cloaked figure walked swiftly from the revolving staircase once it had completed its revolution. The figure's soundless steps urged Hermione to follow, and so she did. She beginning to think that maybe she should spend a little less time with Harry and Ron; they were becoming a bad influence on her.

She followed figure until they both reached a rather solid looking wall. She crept as close as dared, remaining unseen only by way of a suit of armor. She squinted through the darkness, try to discern the figure. Definitely a male. . .

"You can come out now," The person's said coldly.

Hermione took a step back. He couldn't have seen her, he couldn't have. . .

"Now," His voice grew in coldness. Hermione lowered her eyes and walked out from behind the suit of armor. She walked close enough to the main to make out his facial features.

__

Professor Snape! She thought, but not entirely surprised. She knew he was observant, so it must have been a simple matter to notice her following him.

"Any particular reason as to why you are following me?" The coldness hadn't dimmed from his voice and his face was unreadable.

"I-I'm sorry," She succumbed. "I was just looking for something I dropped earlier. . ." She trailed, seeing that he didn't believe her.

"And so you thought that where ever I went that this object you seemed to have so keenly dropped went with me? Miss Granger," He stiffened, "I am not the fool you seem to make me out to be."

"It's not that I think you are a fool!" Hermione blurted before a deep scarlet came onto her cheeks. She looked at his unwavering form; tall and dark; mysterious and sexy; everything she wanted. Hermione whimpered. She didn't know where all these feelings and 'observations' were coming from. It seemed that they all stemmed from that one night where he held her. . .Hermione looked Snape starkly in the eyes, she didn't see him flinch, but something did flash through his eyes.

"I was following you," She said suddenly and flatly. When she didn't continue with an explanation, Snape began to speak.

"Well, then - "

"You didn't let me finish!" She said angrily. "I was trying to think of a way to word it so it didn't sound intrusive, but I guess I won't. Professor, what was going on in Dumbledore's office?"

Snape looked startled for only the briefest of moments. "That is privileged information, such information that should not come into the hands of a student." He said sharply.

"Then, what was Akasa doing up there? _She _is a student."

"I am not discussing this with you," Snape sneered.

"Why not? What? Because it has to do with Voldemort? Is that it, Snape?" Hermione's voice did not raise nor lower, it remained the same, calm voice that a normal person would dare not challenge.

"Will that make you go away?" Snape's temper was rising at the audacity of the student. He saw the hope flicker across her face at the thought of him telling her what was going on. He then proceeded to smash it, "Like I said before, Miss Granger, such matters are not to be discussed with students!"

Hermione took a threatening step forward. "So, it is about Voldemort, isn't it?" She didn't wait for a reply. "Well then, I won't waste my breath asking about that anymore. The Order has obviously incorporated new members - including students - and was just meeting in Dumbledore's office. So, he has my friend in there right now, yet you aren't in there. Am I to question your allegiance?"

"No, you are to go back to your dormitory and pray that the headmaster does not find out about this."

"What is it that you are doing, Snape?" She pressed on, quite unaware how out of character she was acting. She so rarely questioned a teacher or spoke against them, but she felt like she was on equal terms with Snape. . . "I can't believe that you would stop working for the Order - Dumbledore trusts you too much. So, my guess is that you are on some sort of special mission. Akasa did mention that her role in the plan was much safer and smaller than your role."

Snape looked at Hermione with a look of disbelief. "Miss Granger, you are tampering with dangerous things, I suggest you leave it up to those are capable of handling it." He said quietly.

"Professor," She urged, "Harry, Ron, and I are part of the Order, too. Why is it that none of us know about this plan?"

"It was not necessary for you to know." Snape replied simply and turned to go.

"Not necessary for me to know?" Hermione's lips twitched. "Since when are dealings with Voldemort not necessary for _everyone_ to know? This is _Voldemort, _ we are talking about! He could go out and kill anyone he pleased!" Her voice raised slightly higher than it had previously been. "Professor, you _know _this. Please. . .tell me. . ." Hermione whispered with a certain desperateness not for the information, but for him to tell her something, for him to _confide _in her.

Snape looked down the corridor then looked at Hermione. His expression changed to one she could read as he turned to the stone wall and pressed his right hand on it, muttered a phrase - one she just barely caught - and the wall opened into a black opening.

"Follow me," He stated before sweeping into the dark hole. Hermione followed him, her curiosity over knowing where he was going and what he wanted to do beat her common sense.

She followed him through a narrow passageway that led in one direction only for a few meters before changing the direction to a 90 degree turn. Consequently, with there being no lighting, she ran into several walls. Though she couldn't see Snape, she could hear his shoes clicking on the concrete, but, after a dozen or so turns, they stopped and she ran into his back.

"Ouch. .Sorry. .Professor?" She backed away from him and immediately apologized, but he didn't respond. Instead he did something she could see to the wall before him and it the stone wall separated like the one to Diagon Ally again to reveal a narrow opening into a medium-sized room.

The room was furnished with a couch directly in front of a large, blazing fire. The room was also ornamented with two large, straight-backed chairs set adjacent to either side of the couch. There was also a light gray rug set between the couch and fireplace.

Wait. . .Weren't couches more Muggle-ish? Hermione wondered and thought to ask Snape, but she wasn't so sure that his demeanor would appreciate such a frivolous question.

Snape walked forward and sat on the far side of the couch and stared into the fire. Hermione stood there for a moment, but when the opening was she was standing in began to close up, and she jumped forward, into the room.

"Professor. . .?" Her nerves escalating and her courage failing her, she looked at him, intent for some kind of direction.

"Sit down," Was all he said. She obliged, opting for the far side of the couch he was sitting at.

"Miss Granger, these are my personal quarters, I expect you will exercise restraint when it comes to informing others of their whereabouts," He said quietly, quite obviously not as a question.

"Yes, Sir," Hermione replied. It several minutes before either spoke again, both staring into the fire.

"Professor, may I ask why you brought me here?"

"If you must," She glanced at him and saw a brooding expression on his face.

"Er. .Professor. .Why did you bring me here?"

"The headmaster seems to see it fit for it to be I who tells you something."

"He did? What is it?" An edge of worry began to form in her. Something had happened. . .

"This is. .not easy for me to say," He didn't take his eyes off the fire.

"What is it? Did something happen?" Urgency sounded in her voice. If it wasn't easy for Snape to say, how horrible could it be? _Really horrible_, her clenched stomach answered.

"Your. .parents, they have been taken by the Dark Lord." He said softly, looking her full in the face.

"M-My parents. . ." Hermione's voice was thick with emotion as her voice cracked. "Are. .A-re d-dead?!" She felt a hot rush of tears to her eyes as she became oblivious to Snape moving towards her and shaking her by the shoulders, and she cried against him.

"Miss Granger!" She didn't respond. "_Hermione!" _A momentary pause came from her that he took full advantage of. "_Your parents aren't dead!"_

Disbelief locked onto her face. What was he trying to tell her? First he says that her parents were taken by Voldemort then there aren't - Her eyes widened.

"T-They're still _alive?_" Her voice whispered.

"Yes, they are alive, but they are in Lord Voldemort's grasp."

Then they are as good as dead!" She sobbed.

"That's not true! They are still alive!" He spoke with so much defiance of her words that she forced herself to listen.

"How do you know?" Her voice returned to a whisper.

"I saw them," He said quietly before separating himself before. She had once again been crying into his robes.

"How could you have seen them? Did you. . .Did you. . ."

"No, I did not help in their capture." He moved a little further away from her. "They were kidnapped because. ." He looked at her uneasily. How was she going to take this? "They are your parents and you are friends with Potter."

"Because. ." Her expression began to harden. "I'm Harry's friend?" She spat. "_They took my parents because I'm Harry's friend?!" _She said with venom ringing clear in her voice.

"Yes, Miss Granger," Snape said softly.

"Why do you do that?" She snapped suddenly at him. "You are delivering me possibly the worst news of my life and you still keep with formalities. That's disgusting. Call me Hermione - because if you try giving this type of information to other people in the future like you are doing to me now, the results of this will look mild compared to it. Formalities aren't any good for this type of thing, Professor," She repeated, her sorrow calming and her anger rising - but not at Snape, at Voldemort. She knew what she had to do, now, and knew how to do it.

"Professor," Her voice echoed softly in his mind. "How did you see my parents?" A long moment's silence elapsed between them and Hermione thought for a moment that he didn't here her, but he spoke.

"I. . ." He spoke unsurely, wondering once again how she would take this. "I have returned to the Dark Lord as a Death Eater," He paused. "I saw your parents alive though with Him."

Hermione looked at Snape with a newfound respect. "Dumbledore asked you to do it, didn't you?" She asked quietly but didn't wait for an answer. "He asked you to become a Death Eater again and return to Voldemort! That's how you knew my parents were there! Where are they?"

Snape looked quite taken aback by her sudden changed in attitude. "Miss Granger, if you are going to ask something, please keep it down to one question, it is difficult to separate them when you gibber them out like that."

Unfazed, Hermione worked up to her final question once more, "Dumbledore asked you to do it, did he not?"

Snape nodded.

"You have become a Death Eater once more?"

"I believe it has already been said that I have."

"You saw my parents when Voldemort summoned you, right?"

Snape nodded.

"Does Voldemort always summon you to the same place?"

"No, that would be foolish. He summons us to many different places around the world."

"Where did he summon you last time?"

Snape looked at her with mild surprise. "Miss Granger, my pardons, but do you think I am fool enough to answer that?"

Hermione glared at him. "It was worth a shot - and - did you just call me 'Miss Granger'?"

"Sorry, _Hermione,_" He said without insincerity. "But were you just trying to find out where they were so you could _go _to them?"

Hermione looked at the fire and nodded. "I guess are you aren't going to tell me?"

"Hermione, death is something very closely associated with the Dark Lord, and if you go seeking him, you go seeking it."

"You don't think I can handle myself?" She looked at him angrily.

"That's not it," He looked at the fire, his voice was subdued.

"I-I'm sorry, that was foolish of me to say, Professor. There is only one person who can handle Voldemort. . ."

Snape didn't respond. He didn't do anything at all; not even blink. Minutes went by where he just stared into the fire and Hermione looked at him. The time ticked by slowly. . .

"Professor?" No answer.

"Professor Snape?" No answer.

Hermione continued to look at him. He seemed to be off in his own world. She didn't try to get his attention again, instead waited for him to speak. And as she waited, her anxiety grew. She wondered how her parents were doing, how they must feel, how frightened they must be. . .Hermione felt a thick clog of emotion in her throat.

"Do not worry," Snape spoke suddenly, his contemplating expression gone. He seemed to have come to a decision. . .One he didn't like. . .

"Do not worry," He repeated, "I will make sure nothing happens to your parents."

Hermione shot out of her own thoughts about her parents and questioned Snape.

"But what can you do?" She asked softly, her voice honest in its inquiry.

"In my position, I am one of the Dark Lord's top Death Eater's, he trusts me. If I tell him that it is necessary to keep them alive for some purpose, he will do so."

"You control him?" She asked in a small voice.

"No, but I am one of his favorites therefore he is more likely to believe what I say. Which is why I currently go to him now, I feed him false information."

"You have to go and suffer in that _monster's_ presence just to give him some false information?" She sounded incredulous.

"Yes, but I also pick up on other things, like your parents. . ."

"What would he do to them?" She asked suddenly. "They're just Muggles, they have no way to defend themselves!"

"Yes, Hermione, I know. But that may also be part of the reason he keeps them alive, because he _can. _He thinks of himself as a god, one who can dictate life and death._"_

"Because he can? Does he like to kill people or not?" Her brow furrowed.

"The Dark Lord provides no explanations for His actions; he simply does them and does not concern Himself with the repercussions."

Hermione sat there, staring into the fire, feeling stupid. It seemed as if right now she could not see the obvious. And despite how sad she was about her parents, her thoughts kept coming back to Snape. He was going back to Voldemort and pretending to be on his side. . .What would Voldemort do if ever found out what Snape was doing? Worry creased her face. Such consequences. . .ones that she couldn't even imagine.

"Professor. . ." She had to ask, she just had to. To know that he put himself in such danger. . . "What is the chance of Voldemort finding you out?"

Snape's pale face paled more. It was something he had thought about himself many times, but he had never voiced it out loud. . .It made it too real. And hearing it just now. . .especially from her.

The fiery embers were starting to die down in the fireplace, but it left plenty of light for Hermione to see the angst in his eyes.

"Professor? Are you okay? I'm sorry. . .I didn't mean to. . ."

He didn't say anything; he sat there, quiet and reserved. Hermione became worried. Had she just offended him? _Scared_ him? But from the persona he exhibits in the classroom, you would think he was fearless.

__

That's silly! Everyone _is afraid of something! _Her mind told her.

"Professor?" She moved a little closer to him. He didn't respond, only an empty, hollow look haunted his eyes. Hermione felt her heart clench. She felt sympathy for the man beside her. The man who put his life on the line to help defeat one of the greatest wizards. Admiration shined in her eyes.

"Professor," She wasn't timid like before as she placed a hand on his shoulder, this startled him and he looked at her. But he didn't say anything, just looked, un-chastising, with dark eyes that showed he troubled mind.

"I'm sorry that I said that. With Dumbledore around, Voldemort can't do anything. Everyone knows that. He can't hurt you," She said, determined to make sure that she upheld that statement.

"You don't know. . .understand. . .Sometimes it isn't the pain he realizes he inflicts that is the most painful," He spoke quietly for the first time in minutes.

It was her turn to look startled, "What do you mean?"

Abashed, he turned back to the fire, "Nothing. I shouldn't be saying this, least of all to you."

"Why? Why least of all me?"

Snape didn't say anything, his eyes were now carefully guarded, but she could still see a well-kept secret in them.

"What can't you tell me? What does he do that hurts so much?" She inched closer to him once more, her hand remaining on his shoulder.

"The Dark Lord has created many horrors, harmed many people, and taken your parents, don't concern yourself with me."

"But you keep going to him! It too dangerous! Putting yourself in so much danger isn't smart. . ." She trailed abruptly turning her face from his and surveying the room.

"Hermione," He said quietly, "Why are you so worried? I was under the impression that you and your friends didn't hold me in high regard."

She lowered her eyes. "Be-Because. .you helped me that one night. You let me tell you what happened on that night . ." She didn't look at him, afraid he would see through her. See what she was really beginning to feel. . .The real answer to his question. . .

"Is that the truth? Nothing else?" She took the risk of looking at him and nodding, and what she saw surprised her. For a brief moment, he looked _sad_ at her answer, but all to soon his eyes reverted to the all too common unreadable state.

"You should go," Snape said quietly.

Hermione swallowed thickly before standing and walking to the wall which had served as a door before. She placed her hand on it and it opened. Stepping onto the threshold she looked at Snape sadly. He sat staring into the fire, a look of complete and utter despair on his face.

Closing her eyes for a moment she whispered, "Thank you," Then left. 

___________

She felt as if her body, mind, and heart had suffered from torrents of attacks. Flopping onto her bed she laid there for several minutes before noticing a golden hue formed around her dresser. Sitting up, she reached over to it and pulled open the drawer. Inside was the enchanted parchment with the poem written on it, but it had new lines added.

****

Secrets of the Forbidden

__

Moonlight spreading through the night sky

Lighting the quiet ground

Spreading to and fro

Setting upon the silent seas

Shedding its brightness to the earth

And into the eyes of two onlookers

With admiration in their depths

Of darkness

That clouds their mind

And hearts

Allowing themselves to only see the light

Never touching its goodness

Letting only dark come near them

If for the best of all

They sacrifice themselves

To see others

Live in happiness

And with innocence

That they think they can only dream of

Not believing

That it can be more than a desire

Until they see each other.

And believe that fate is cruel

To every waking moment

Of their lives

They wish and plead inside

For desires that not even they recognize

And begin to chase the one another away

In fear of the unknown.

___________

****

AN:

Hey all. Hope everyone enjoyed this chapter - I know I enjoyed writing it. Though it was a bit difficult to get Snape and Hermione just right. But I think I did pretty good. I really like how the scene with them worked out, I wasn't sure about it when I was writing it, but it turned out nice. The most trying part seemed to getting it to lead up to some evens I have planned for the future. ;D You guys will love the scenes I have planned for the future.

Thanks for the reviews! I really appreciate everyone's feedback. I chose to make this chapter longer because I couldn't bear to leave it off at any place, it just seemed wrong. So, everyone gets a longer chapter this time round. I also would have had it out sooner, but I went school shopping on Saturday and my grandmother slept over (she was shopping with us). And she stayed in my room where my computer is, so I didn't get very much work done. I will try to have the next chapter out sooner.


	9. The First Meeting

Weeks soon began to pass without Hermione meeting up with Snape anymore. She just seemed to wander aimlessly through the corridors of Hogwarts. . . She still completed all her homework on time, attended her classes, sat with her friends. . . But she didn't feel the same. She felt empty. Like there was nothing worth living for. . .

And as she began to dip into despair, she became jumpy when others were around her and skeptical of what they told her. She was slowly becoming frightened of those closest to her. She began to think that they might be helping Graham get to her. . .Everything around her was becoming dark.

Her feelings and mind were clouding over. She felt like she was walking around in a haze that blocked her from seeing anything. As if it was allowing her only the paranoia that others might be around, lurking in the haze; waiting, watching, for her to show a moment of weakness. Then, they would attack.

But she wouldn't show that moment of weakness. No, she had resigned herself to never let another near her. She couldn't take the risks. Not while she was trying to find a way to rescue her parents.

But the place she had always thought of as a haven was now merely a place to gather information and nothing more. Her hours in the library passed with alarming slowness. She was working harder than she ever had before, and it was fruitless. The answers she was looking for were not to be found in books. She had long since figured that out, but she didn't want to admit - not even to herself - that books couldn't help her through her largest crisis.

Hermione shut the book quickly. She was tired of this; tired of being lost; tired of having no answers; tired of not being able to do anything. She needed to do something. She needed to help. She wanted to help, in any way she could.

Hermione checked her watch. It was late. Which meant dark halls and the possibility of running into Graham. . .She fearfully cast a long look at the door that led out of the library. She had to do it. She couldn't let her fears get in the way. Gathering her courage, she began her long journey to Dumbledore's office.

__________

"Three finest," Hermione said as she stood beside the large stone eagle in the spiral area. It was motionless for a moment before swiveling upwards. Hermione took deep breaths to calm herself and stepped into Dumbledore's office. Was he going to ask her how she found out that the Order was holding meetings? The password to his office? Her brow creased but settled back to normal when she saw Dumbledore smile at her.

"Hermione, what a pleasant surprise," Professor Dumbledore looked up at her from behind his desk and smiled kindly.

Hermione lost her nerve for a moment as the professor's kind, seeing blue eyes looked into her.

"To what do I owe this visit?" He said, still kindly, when she didn't say anything.

"H-Hello, Professor, I just came to talk to you about the. ." She paused. Would he really let her have a larger role - any role - for that matter? "The Order." She finished defiantly.

"Oh? What, might I ask, for?" His face depicted mild surprise.

"I was wondering if I could have a larger role in what we are doing. I know you must be doing something; it would seem silly and not exactly intelligent to have nothing planned with Lord Voldemort's steady rise in power."

"Ah. . .Yes, we do have plans - and are currently executing several of them. What sort of part would you like?"

Hermione felt her nervousness drift away. "Anything where I can help."

"Is that so," He murmured and looked at her through his half-moon spectacles. He seemed to be studying her and she tried not to glance away under his knowing eyes.

"How about you come to the next meeting, and we will discuss it there?"

Hermione nodded, smiling brightly. "Thank you, Professor." Dumbledore smiled at her and she left.

____________

"I did it!" The young witch whispered excitedly to herself as she hurried to her dormitory.

"Excuse me," A voice suddenly hissed in her ear. She jumped and whirled around.

"F-Filch!" Her eyes widened, but her insides sighed with relief; it wasn't Graham.

"You know my name, well done. Now what are you doing out after hours?" Filch growled.

"I was just speaking with Professor Dumbledore," She said.

"Is that so? How about we go and have a chat with him now?" His beady eyes glared at her.

"Please, Mr. Filch, I need to get back to my dormitory and do my homework," Hermione pleaded not wanting to be caught right after she was told she could participate more in the Order.

"I see," His beady eyes glittered, "You don't want to see him, eh? Now why would that be? Might it be because you were never there?"

"Please, let's just go to Professor Mcgonagall, if you must. Professor Dumbledore is a busy man."

"Mcgonagall. . ." Filch paused to consider it. "Why wou - Professor!"

Professor Snape looked at the scene before him with great distaste on his features.

"What is going on, Filch?" He said with the same distaste in his voice that his features showed.

"I seem to have caught a student sneaking around after hours. . .What do you reckon the punishment should be?" Filch asked with utter happiness on his face.

Hermione looked at Snape with desperateness written on her face. _Please get me out of this. . .Please. ._ She pleaded silently to herself and looked at Snape's cold expression. They stared at each for several moments before Snape's face hardened even more. Hermione's heart sank. He wasn't going to help her. But what had happened to the man who had been so kind to her just a few weeks ago?

Hermione felt something stir within her. Snape had been acting differently in the past few weeks. He had been cold to her. He had chastised her more than normal. Yet despite his cruelness to her, she had seen something lurking in his eyes when she had been in his rooms that day. And the way both he and she had acted. The way she felt for him - the way he would never return. . .But she had still seen something in his eyes that day that had been hidden well ever since. Perhaps it was. . .

"I reckon," His cold leer rested once more on Hermione and halted her thoughts, "That you should punish her at your discretion." Snape said before sweeping off down the dark corridor. Hermione glared at his back wondering where the sensitivity he had shone her before was. . .

Filch's face widened in glee. Very rarely was he able to choose a punishment for the rule-breakers, and Snape had just given him the permission to. . .

"All right, follow me," Filch barked at Hermione. She winced and followed.

All the while she walked that night, and through her next night's detention, she thought of Snape. She thought of everything about him, right down to the almost caring nature he had been showing her to his coldness to her when she was caught out after hours.

She had thought of everything about him, except for the grief that had remained hidden deep within him.

__________

And everything remained that way for several weeks. Snape remained cold to Hermione, while her own sadness grew. It stemmed from not only her Hermione's destroying encounter with Graham, it also came from her not being able to speak with Snape. His cold manner to her remained until there was a meeting of the Order. When she was somehow tricked into becoming closer to the professor whom she thought loathed her.

Hermione walked into Dumbledore's office. In the round office stood just Professor Dumbledore.

"Professor? Where are the others?" She checked her watch and saw that it read the time she was supposed to be there by, but where was everyone?

"In the other room. This way," The wizened wizard showed her to a wall that was covered with various photographs overlapping each other so there wasn't a speck of the wall showing. He touched one with a bright red blotch on the upper hand corner of it and murmured a phrase. The photographs instantly sprang aside and revealed a semi-wide opening into a well lit passage. Hermione's eyes widened.

"Did you catch the password, Hermione? It's 'Black Éclairs'. You will do well to remember it," Dumbledore said before smiling at her and starting down the passage. Hermione followed him down the passage, and saw that, while they took no turns, she could easily get lost. The patterned walls were of fluorescent colors that outshone the torches on either side of the passage. Not only that but the passage way seemed to turn and have many other passageways branching off of it, but as Hermione walked through the passageway and kept a careful eye on her surroundings. She was sure that she went only straight and took no turns.

"Ah, here we are, the Meeting Room," Dumbledore's eyes twinkled as he saw that everyone was there. "I assume you know everyone?" Hermione nodded as she saw Mad-Eye Moody, Professor Mcgonagall, Professor Snape, and her survey of the room stopped there. She glanced away from Snape and looked around the rest of the room, not seeing the rest. She moved and sat into a large chintz chair and sat straight, looking at the cup of tea that appeared before her. She took the tea and began to sip it slowly, ignoring the looks she got from the others and looked at Dumbledore.

"Hello everyone, I trust that you have all had a pleasant couple of weeks?" Dumbledore's eyes twinkled as he spoke. "Well, I hope you have, however, now is not the time to discuss it. We are here for a brief update then to assign new roles." He looked at Hermione for a moment before turning his attention to Snape. "Severus, have you been summoned recently?"

"Only once. The Grangers are still there and alive," Snape kept his eyes trained on the headmaster. "However, I am unsure of how long they will last." Hermione fought to control her emotions. "They are growing thin and the Dark Lord is growing impatient. . ."

"Ah, I see. We will have to come up with a reason for him to keep them around. Any ideas?" Dumbledore cast his gaze around the room.

"Can we tell Him that Hermione has yet to find out about her parents and He must wait a little longer so she does?" Tonks suggested.

"Don't be foolish," Snape's voice cut the suggestion in half. "The Dark Lord already knows that Miss Granger knows, I'm sure of it. The Dark Lord has the children of His Death Eaters stationed at Hogwarts. They must have noticed something."

There was silence. No one spoke. Hermione looked around slightly unnerved that no one else had any suggestions.

"What if. ." All eyes turned to Hermione. "What if Professor Snape were to go to Lord Voldemort," A few flinched in the room, "and tell Him that I am slowly sinking into despair at knowing about my parents." Snape was almost going to object, but Hermione continued. "However, what if the fact that knowing my parents were still under His control and not d-dead left me in even more despair?" Hermione was quiet and silently waited for criticism. There were several moments of quiet before anyone spoke.

"Well, Severus, would He take it?" Dumbledore asked.

Severus studied his own cup of tea for several more moments.

"Yes. .I think He might. He seems to understand such matters, that is why He has kept them alive, I believe." Severus spoke slowly.

"Well then," Dumbledore said cheerfully clapping his hands together. "The next order of business, shall we? Any pressing information to volunteer?"

"There have been no odd reports from the students," Professor Mcgonagall said.

"Splendid. Anyone else? Akasa?"

Akasa looked at the headmaster. "No, nothing has been going on. It seems the He has gone into a duration of waiting. . ."

"It does seem that way. So, no reports have been heard. Strange sightings? Conversations?"

"Nothing here," Professor Flitwick said. Hermione looked at him. He wasn't in the Order before, then again, neither was Professor Sprout who was sitting next to him. . .How many people did Dumbledore recruit?

"I have heard nothing, and I even made a point of visiting Hogsmeade too," Professor Sprout followed in suit.

Dumbledore's eyes began to lose their twinkle. "No one has heard or seen anything? He is being too quiet. . . False sense of security. . ." Dumbledore muttered. The room remained quiet until Dumbledore spoke again.

"Now, the Advance Guard, you haven't had as much work while he is at school, but you are still watching, right? Bed checks? When he is at Hogsmeade?" Dumbledore asked, assuming all knew that 'he' was Harry Potter.

"I have been keeping tabs on him and the others when they are in Hogsmeade," Mad-Eye Moody said in his usual growling voice.

"You mean Hermione and Ron? Or have you been watching the others close to the Order too?"

"I watch all of them, but mainly just the three." Moody's magical eye spun towards Hermione then other various parts of the room.

"Good," Dumbledore said approvingly. "Minerva?"

"Bed checks. I have been doing them every night late enough so I will know they are not prowling the corridors. Though, they do have a knack for being in the wrong place at the wrong time," Mcgonagall looked at Hermione for a moment before changing her gaze to another area of the room.

Hermione couldn't help but smile slightly. "Sorry, Professor. I will try to make sure we don't stay out after curfew as often."

Dumbledore smiled at her. "That would help, Hermione. And - " He continued to look at the young witch. "We now need a real placement for you." He looked at everyone. "Hermione has requested a larger role in the Order. Does anyone have any ideas?"

"Can't she work with me?" Akasa asked tentatively.

Dumbledore shook his head. "No, I think it would be too soon for a placement like that."

"And some positions would be too dangerous. . ." Tonks murmured, casting a glance at Snape.

"Actually," Moody growled. "She should work with Snape," Moody looked at Snape, daring him to counter his 'suggestion'.

"Severus? That's too dangerous!" Mcgonagall said.

"Not _that_, " Moody growled. "She can help him make potions. When Snape has to pay a visit to Voldemort, it leaves him tired afterwards. My _suggestion_ was that she would help him brew the necessary potions," Moody gave a pointed look at Lupin.

"She can't brew the potions that need to be brewed. I won't have her working with me," Snape growled at Moody.

"Now Severus, why don't we give her a chance? If she can't, she can't. If she can, then you will have an easier time in your own job," Dumbledore said cheerfully. "Hermione, do you think you are up to the task of brewing potions well beyond the schooling level Hogwarts offers?"

Hermione stirred her tea. It swirled gently in the glass cup. Would she be able to do it? True, she had brewed many potions beyond her years, but if she made a mistake this time. . The consequences would be far higher.

"What potions would I need to brew?" She asked timidly.

"I doubt you can brew the potions with such complexity that I must," Snape said.

"At least tell me what potions are required," She replied evenly.

Snape glowered at her. "The Polyjuice Potion is a difficult potion to make which many can't brew."

Hermione fought a smirk and settled for a small smile. "Is that all?" Everyone looked at her. "I learned how to brew that potion in my _second year. _Aren't there any more challenging potions?" Slightly stunned, those in the room looked at Snape.

"I suspected that much. The Wolfsbane potion is among the most difficult for even myself. Have you ever tried that?"

Hermione looked at him thoughtfully. "No, I haven't. Shall we see if I can?"

Dumbledore smiled and clapped his hands together. "Well there we have it! Hermione you shall be working with Severus when he needs your help."

_________

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AN:

This chapter took longer than I expected to write. Very little inspiration. And the bad news is that as the most you people will probably only get one more chapter for the next two or three weeks. Why? Well, the next chapter **will **come out this week, however, next week I will be gone for a week at a fair. And the week after that if ALL practices. I have soccer from 7-9am, band practice until 4, and then another soccer practice for two more hours. Sounds like loads of fun, doesn't it? :P It will be a busy week, but I love it^_^ Wouldn't do it if I didn't. I'm just going to busy that's all, just like this coming school year. Going into 11th grade *cheers* Though I'm taking lots of difficult classes *boo* But, like I said, I love it. Whether it is playing sports, learning, or writing.

As for my writing, thankies so much for reviewing! I love it^_^ I'll update soon!


	10. Changing From Within

The next evening Snape had Hermione meet him in the Potions classroom at seven in the evening. She walked in there with as much confidence as she could muster and tried to brush off the coldness that the dark corridor had instilled in her. She pushed open the heavy door and walked into the classroom.

"Hello, Professor," She said. Snape looked up from his paperwork.

"Well done, Miss Granger," He said without looking up. She face faulted.

"What? What do you mean?" She walked a few steps into the classroom.

"Close the door," He said and she obliged. "I meant that you got into the Order. Well done."

"Er. .Thanks," She said unsurely.

"It wasn't a compliment."

Hermione looked at him coldly. "What do you mean?"

"You manipulated the Headmaster. Proud?" Snape did not pause but walked over to a large cauldron on the far side of the room and kept talking. "Now, follow me. Since you know how to brew the Polyjuice potion, I want you to show me."

"Why? You don't believe me?"

"I believe you," He said, getting out various ingredients from the cupboards and shelves in the room. "That is why I am going to have you work on the potion in conjunction with another."

Hermione followed his movements closely, once again entranced by his presence and the way he moved.

"Hm?" She asked, her brief lapse into daydreaming caused her to miss the instructions.

"Take this," He handed her a piece of parchment written upon with black ink. "These are the instructions for the Polyjuice Potion. And this piece," He handed her another piece of parchment, "Is for Tillawe Potion. This potion is just a step above the Polyjuice Potion and it is most helpful to Madam Pomfrey. The potion will cure almost any sickness and takes about the same of time to brew as the Polyjuice Potion. Now I will leave you to it, since you seemed to be quite able before," He said before striding off to another cauldron.

"You aren't going to help me?" Hermione asked as she gazed at him and held the instructions tightly.

"No. This is a test of your abilities, Miss Granger," He said before collecting various for himself.

She looked at the instructions. She knew the Polyjuice Potion and could do that, and the Tillawe Potion didn't seem much more complicated, but she still felt _off_. Hermione replayed his statement in her mind and found a fault.

"You really shouldn't call me Miss Granger, Professor. Remember what I told you last time? Well, it really is quite insulting to go back to such formalities," She stated in a matter-of-fact tone that she had used many times before.

Snape began slicing a purplish colored root and did not look at her. "Miss Granger, why do you find it so necessary to be called by your first name?"

Hermione read the first step off the instructions parchment and began to mix to potions together. She ignored him for several minutes and stirred the potion.

"Calling a person by their first name is a sign of friendship and comfort around one another," She paused and continued when he did not answer. "And I believe you to be within friendship distance after the times you have helped me," She said softly.

As like last time, minutes passed before Snape responded.

"Is that so?" He asked. He did not sound conceited and he did not sneer. It seemed like an innocent question.

"Yes, that is so."

"Hermione. ." He said quietly. "That is what I shall call you when we are not in the presence of others."

Hermione smiled. "Thank you, Professor."

"If one calls another a friend, then shouldn't the other do the same?" He asked stirred his the contents of his cauldron after tipping the sliced roots in.

The smile didn't leave her face but her eyes shined with surprise. "I suppose so. . .Severus?"

"Thank you, Hermione," He said and let her work in quiet.

The two went on for hours in silence, neither bothering the other. Snape worked with grace and precision while Hermione's movements, though less accurate, nevertheless belied her years of experience. Though she worked in quiet, her mind ran amuck in mixed concentration for the potions and her thoughts of Snape.

It seemed like in just the few hours before, they had become so much closer. Like they actually cared for one another. . .

Well, Hermione did. She cared for her professor. Not just because he helped her before, but because of the qualities that reflected within the depths of his eyes. Obsidian in color, his eyes might be, but true in goodness they definitely were. She was sure of it.

And Hermione had seen beneath the dimness of his outer layers, that something shined brightly within him. But she didn't know what. It was a mystery to her, and she half expected, to him also.

But it didn't matter to her if he didn't understand himself. What mattered to her was that she could see it and help bring it out. No longer did she care to prove herself to him, she just wanted to be near him. . . She almost thought it was love. . .

Screwing up her face so it wouldn't be obvious as to what she was thinking of, she continued to work. And as the fleeting seconds passed by, they slowly turned into minutes, and slowly became another complete hour that passed by. Then Hermione spoke.

"What are you working on?" She asked while looking at him and it felt like something shuddered in the air and struck them both.

"A potion," Snape said while he worked steadily.

"Which one?" She asked, determined not to let the conversation fade.

"Wolfsbane."

They were quiet for only a few seconds before Hermione spoke again.

"Why did you seem to know that I had brewed the Polyjuice Potion before?" She worked as steadily as Snape had before. He looked up at her.

"There was Boomslang Skin taken from my stores about five years ago. I knew it had to be you because I had seen you hurrying away from the corridor in which my office was located and you had something under your robes. Then I did simple math. You had taken a potion ingredient that is prominently used in the Polyjuice Potion. And there was one time when I had been out in the halls and it had been one of the few times I hadn't seen you, Potter, and Weasley, it was about half a month after you had taken the Boomslang Skin. And the Boomslang Skin is to be added exactly half way through the brewing of the Polyjuice Potion. Quiet simple to figure out, really," He added as he saw her shocked expression.

"Most wouldn't have noticed," She murmured before both of them returned to their work.

_________

As the month began to pass at a rate that surprised even Hermione, she still worked hard on her potions. Every evening she would go and work on them. And, thankfully, Snape had shown her a trick to have the potions brew themselves during the day without her supervision - it was difficult to keep on getting late to class because she had to add certain ingredient, or something of that sort.

But even so, the days still flew past. Each and every evening she went into the Potions classroom and worked diligently. And as each day went past, Hermione and Snape talked more and more. First it was just a little every now and then - like the first night - but it soon became full blown conversations where they talked the hours away. They had became comfortable with each other and learned quite a bit about one another.

But one day it changed. Hermione had walked into the Potions classroom but didn't see Snape there. So she began her work and worked for hours, well past the time she was usually left. She was still waiting for Snape to make an appearance. He was always there, even if he didn't have anything to work on. She enjoyed their time together. They normally discussed how their day went, but sometimes they got into deeper discussions about subject matters they normally guarded around others.

However, that night Snape had come stumbling into the room, grasping the wall for support. At first Hermione thought he was drunk, but she soon saw that he didn't have a drunken stupor about him. He was breathing so hard. . . He seemed to be pain. . . She rushed over to him.

"Severus! What's wrong?" She asked as she tried take his arm and put it around her shoulder so she could help support him.

"You. .aren't. ." His voice was low and came out in what sounded almost like grunts, but Hermione could tell it was because of pain. ". .supposed to. .be here. .!"

"Severus! Don't tell me that! Just let me help you!" She pleaded as he leaned closer to the wall and farther away from her.

"Get. .OUT!" He tried to say forcefully, but it came out weakly.

"No! I won't leave until I know you are okay! Let me help you to the infirmary," She said stubbornly.

"Poppy. .can't. . . help. ." Snape said breathlessly, despair evident in his voice. In a sudden movement Snape's legs stopped supporting him and he fell to the ground.

"Severus!" Hermione became even more alarmed at his sickened state.

"Please, let me help! At least let me take you to your quarters," She spoke with her bottom lip quivering.

Snape looked up at her with a sudden weakness and vulnerability in his eyes that Hermione almost recoiled. He nodded and let her help him up.

She struggled, but she did manage to get him to his private quarters. She recalled the password from her only other time there, but Snape had to help guide her through the many turns. They arrived in his quarters and he directed her to his bedroom. She set him gently on the bed and looked at him anxiously because his face was continually contorted in pain.

"Severus. .is there anything I can do?" He shook his head as little as possible. "Are you sure Madam Pomfrey can't help? She does wonders for this kind of thing. . ."

"Not. .this kind. .of thing. ." He said through ragged breaths. Another intense wave of pain hit him and he squeezed his eyes shut and held himself tightly.

"Severus!" Unbeknownst to her, she grabbed his hand and squeezed it gently. His pain seemed to subside a little. She sighed in relief.

Hermione laid her head down on the side of the bed as she knelt beside it. Her hand still clutched his and vice versa. And soon enough, they both slept. Even with Snape's body performing spastic movements every now and then and Hermione's tenseness at his state, they both slept as contently as one would imagine two could in such conditions.

_________

Hermione woke up with a start. She sat up and looked wildly around the room. It was dark and she was on a slightly lumpy bed. Hermione felt about for the candle she usually had next to her bed. There was none. Hermione forced herself to remain calm in the strange surroundings and realized she was still wearing her robes from the previous day. Plunging her hand into her pocket, she withdrew her wand.

"Lumos," She whispered and gasped.

She was still in her professor's private quarters! Only she wasn't where she had left herself to sleep the previous night - beside his bed - now she was _in_ his bed. Hermione shined the light over to the right side of his and forced herself not to gasp again, instead a sound like a whimper came out. Her professor was beside her.

Hermione nearly fainted but controlled herself enough not to. Instead, she got out of the bed and turned to leave, but walked around to the other side of the bed to see Snape. She wanted to see how he was doing. She remembered that during the night he kept having an awful time and was in tremendous pain, but never once did he call out. That surprised her, because had it been any other person, from the looks of it, they would have been screaming constantly.

"Severus. . ." She whispered, not daring to shake him awake. His eyes snapped open and widened further when he saw her staring at him.

". .Hermione. ." He said hoarsely.

"How are you? Is the pain gone?" She whispered.

"Most of it," He began to get up but she forced him down, only able to do so while he was still in a weakened state.

"Stay down, you still aren't feeling well. What happened? What made you so ill?"

Snape's obsidian eyes stared at her before answering. "The Dark Lord."

"Y-You. .went to see him? He summoned you last night?" She said fearfully.

"You are a bright witch. Put two and two together."

"Did you see them?" She asked suddenly, sharply. "My parents - how are they?"

Snape lowered his eyes and sighed. "They are still there - alive. But. . .Do you want the truth?" He asked quietly.

"Yes," She said determinedly.

"They are fading fast. The Order needs to do something to get them out of there soon - before Christmas. There will be another meeting soon," He paused as a thought dawned on him. "What time is it?"

"Nearly six in the morning."

"Six?!" He sucked in air. "Albus! I didn't go see him! I need to go. .right now. ."

"No!" Hermione fought to keep him laying on the bed.

"Hermione," His eyes looked at her pleadingly. "I need to go see him. He needs to know whether or not I am under the Imperious Curse. He needs an update. If I don't go see him, then there will be more trouble than it is worth to keep me here. Now," He heaved himself up with a great effort. "Let me go see him."

"Severus, you are still - "

"Hermione," He said sharply as though he just had an epiphany. "Did you stay here the entire night?"

Hermione looked at a distant point past his head and nodded slowly. "I did stay here, but I didn't mean to. .! I meant to just bring you here then leave, but. . .you were in so much pain! I couldn't leave you!" She said softly.

"The entire night? You didn't go back to your dormitory at all?" She shook her head. "What will the other girls in the dormitory say about your disappearance?"

"I can. .tell them that I was working on my project through the entire night. They will buy it, I told them that I was working on the project for the past month and will be for a while more." She said quickly.

"Good," He said and swung his legs over the bed. Gripping the edge of the bed tightly, he hoisted himself up. He stood unsteadily and almost toppled over if it wasn't for him grabbing Hermione's shoulder to steady himself.

He began to walk, holding the wall slightly for support. His breathing was still labored but not nearly as bad as the previous night.

"Severus," Her tone was worried. "Are you always this bad after seeing Voldemort?"

Though he didn't flinch at the name, his eyes became shadowed. "Not always. Sometimes, I am fine, others worse."

"Worse?" Hermione at once became frightened for him.

He sensed her fright. "Yes, but don't worry, it is all for the best. A little bit of pain never hurt anyone," He said with no idea as to why he was comforting her.

"That's a silly thing to say," She said quietly, walking up so she stood beside him. "How can you say this is for the best? Just because Dumbledore says so, doesn't make it right," She said and didn't give him a chance to say anything before she launched into the next part. "_A little bit of pain? _You can _act_ however you like, but that doesn't change the facts! You are still in pain! You are still being summoned by Voldemort! You are still. . ." Her voice was quiet and didn't finish the sentence.

"Still what?" He asked his voice quiet also.

"Nothing," She murmured. "Would you like me to help you up to Professor Dumbledore's office?"

"No. Go to your dormitory before anyone says anything," Snape said.

". .Okay," She agreed reluctantly. "I guess I should leave first so I can check if the coast is clear. . ."

"Yes, that would be good," He said, his breathing becoming more steady. Hermione stopped just before the threshold when she thought she heard something.

"Thank you," He said softly again, his voice barely audible. Hermione smiled inwardly and took several more steps forward before stopping over the threshold once more.

"You welcome," Her voice was just as soft as his. She faintly remembered the last time this situation presented itself, but it seemed to be the exact opposite. Hermione silently pondered on how opposite a situation could become. Then she left. She left not realizing that Snape was watching her carefully, following her every movement; just like she had done many times to him. . .

________

Just like a time that seemed so long ago, she found her dresser glowing with a golden hue that seemed to beckon her. Going over to it, she opened the drawer and pulled out the parchment she knew she would find.

****

Secrets of the Forbidden

__

Moonlight spreading through the night sky

Lighting the quiet ground

Spreading to and fro

Setting upon the silent seas

Shedding its brightness to the earth

And into the eyes of two onlookers

With admiration in their depths

Of darkness

That clouds their mind

And hearts

Allowing themselves to only see the light

Never touching its goodness

Letting only dark come near them

If for the best of all

They sacrifice themselves

To see others

Live in happiness

And with innocence

That they think they can only dream of

Not believing

That it can be more than a desire

Until they see each other.

And believe that fate is cruel

To every waking moment

Of their lives

They wish and plead inside

For desires that not even they recognize

And begin to chase the one another away

In fear of the unknown

But even dreams can come true

When one believes deeply enough

With more than desires

To back them up

Dreams can come true

In real life

Amidst the chaos and turmoil

Dreams can come true

For all

That believe

In themselves

And others

________

The next day Hermione went through her classes as normal. She did her homework. She passed all her tests and quizzes. But she did not pay attention. She kept on thinking of Snape and how he was doing. She had grown close to him, and to see him in such a weak state. . . It shook her.

Nevertheless, she went on through the day and tried to get herself to forget. It didn't work as well as she might have liked. She had planned on going to work on the potions all that night, but she received an urgent owl for a meeting of the Order that night. So she only had enough time to collect a small sample of each potion and tend to them for a short while. And, like last time, she had to wait until the depths of night when Akasa told her it would be safe to go.

The two of them tread quietly through the corridors, not speaking or even looking at each other. They reached Dumbledore's office entrance quickly, spoke the password, went up, and stepped into the round room. They instinctively went over to the wall plastered with photographs.

"Black Éclair," Akasa said the two walked straight for through the passage.

"Ah, you two are here. Please have a seat, we were just about to start," Dumbledore said pleasantly.

The two girls sat by each other this time, each in a large chintz chair that were beside one another.

"Now, I called this meeting because there is an important issue we need to discuss. The Grangers." Hermione felt her heart stop for a moment before doing overtime. "Severus has informed me that they are not doing well. They are growing thinner and weaker, and with Voldemort's control over them, I'm sure he will have used the Imperious Curse on them to find out any information he can."

"We need to do something," Tonks said, eyeing Hermione. Her and Hermione had developed a friendship over their time spent together during the summer before Hermione's fifth year.

"Right you are, Tonks. The question is _what_? Any thoughts? Suggestions?" Dumbledore asked.

The room became quiet with all its occupants brooding over the possibilities. Just like the previous meeting, no one spoke. Silly, un-doable ideas were exchanged. All would be, quite obviously so, fruitless ventures. Minutes passed and Hermione kept on tossing her own idea back and forth in her head. If she told them and they rejected it then they would know what she was planning. However, if she told them and them accepted it, then she would have their backing. . .

"I have an idea," And just like before, all eyes turned to her. "Can't we send someone in? An undercover person who can get close enough to help them?"

"The very same thought had occurred to me, Hermione. However, sending someone in is too great a risk than we can afford at the moment," Dumbledore said. Hermione's heart stopped. She had told them. She had taken the risk. They knew her plan. And those as perceptive as Dumbledore would know her foolish enough to go through with it. Hermione swore under her breath and persisted.

"Think about it, Professor, if we can get a person in there to save them, then we would also know more about Voldemort's defenses."

"It is too great a risk, Hermione. We can't risk one of our number to put themselves in such a position to be captured and interrogated by Lord Voldemort." Hermione had to admit, he did have a point. But even if she could see the sensibility of it, it clashed horribly with her own.

"So, you won't risk one of our number to save _two_ innocent Muggles?" She shot at him, ignoring the glares sent her way. Dumbledore was quiet for a moment and Snape took that opportunity to speak.

"Miss Granger," He began curtly showing no sign of the vulnerability from the previous night. "To send in someone from one of our reserves that could possibly be used under the Imperious Curse would be foolish and asinine. Please accept the fact that nothing can be done without jeopardizing a victory against the Dark Lord that we desperately need. It would certainly help most effectively if you were to speak in a sense of detachment and not argue inane subject matters."

Hermione recoiled slightly at his brusque way of dealing with her. She cut him a glare.

"_Professor_ Snape, there is a reason I am not using a 'sense of detachment', and that is because that this group - the Order of the Phoenix - was created for a purpose. _To save lives_. That is what this organization was created for." Hermione looked at Snape hard. "There _must _be a way to save innocents without taking others."

"Professor Dumbledore," Akasa interrupted. "There isn't anyone we can possibly send to retrieve Hermione's parents?"

"No one," Dumbledore looked saddened by the truth. "Any possible candidate we would come up with wouldn't be possible because they would still know something about the Order, and we cannot risk spreading any information about the Order. It would be disastrous in Voldemort's hands." He concluded and everyone let the matter rest. Except one.

The one who was determined to save her parents no matter what.

The one who would defy the greatest wizard she had ever known.

The one who would defy the man she was growing to care about.

She would defy all for the sake of two people she cared about. But would she, unintentionally, hurt another? Another who cared for her so deeply that he dared not recognize the feelings himself. . .

_________

****

AN:

And this chapter is up! I hope everyone enjoyed because now we are starting to get into the Sevvy/Hermione relationship *jumps for joy* I can't wait to get them completely together^_^ I'm sure you guys are as anxious as me. . .^^ I'll try to work on writing the next chapter during next week. It may be a pain to write it by hand, but I think with the flow of inspiration, it should make somewhat easier. . .

Just on a side note, I'm currently writing some other Sevvy/Hermione one-shot fics. I would write a chaptered one, but I think I'm in the middle of enough chaptered fics *_* Actually, what I really want to do is write a humor/romance fic about Hermione and Sevvy. There are so few of them out there and it's difficult to find good ones. Actually, I'm considering writing one about a new type of sorting. . .One that sorts the people of the school into _couples_. I would like that to be a humorous fic, and I have another one-shot written already, I just need to edit it. Hopefully that will be up by tomorrow.

On another side note, read some fics by Kalina Lea, there are really good. She is a talented writer with unique ideas. Especially read _The Last Word_ - it's great^_^

As always, thanks for all the reviews! They mean so much to me ^_^

****

Mia44: Well, I'm not in the band, I'm in the band front. Yeah, band camp is harsh. But I suppose I'm lucky - I only have one week of band camp and that's the week after next. But it's all pretty fun^_^

****

TheRealiz: Don't let your interest wane too much! I hope this chapter satisfied you some^^

aStarIsNohingButAnImage: Your going into 11th grade too? That's cool :D I wish you luck! lol. I know I'm probably going to need luck too. . .Busy schedule-_-

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Lady Penwrath: lol. I agree, writers shouldn't have anything else to do. But, unfortunately, real life steps in and puts in a real good argument :P SO I'm afraid that I must bend to its whims. . .Good news: I still have enough time to update this story often ^_^


	11. Part I: Let Me See

Harry walked to the seat he traditionally sat in the Great Hall. Definitely one of the advantages of being 'The Boy Who Lived', he mused silently. People tended to try and clobber him to get autographs and the like or they just left him in peace. He had yet to come to a time where he preferred the former.

"Morning," he said slightly groggily to Ron and Hermione. Ron, after taking a moment to process what he said, nodded before grabbing a roll.

"Good morning," Hermione replied pleasantly. Ron, though he gave a small smile, groaned at her apparent conscious state while Harry smiled back at her.

"Were you up late working last night?" the more awake wizard said.

"No, Professor Snape let me out earlier last night because we were almost through the latest batch." She said with a slight sad tone in her voice.

"So he is halfway decent," Harry murmured absently. Hermione felt a sudden heat rise in her face as she felt a slight anger grow within her.

"That's not true," she argued timidly, suddenly remembering that Harry didn't see nor understand Severus the way she did.

Harry didn't say anything, suddenly lost in his thoughts, starring at her then Ron. He shifted his eyes between the two as if debating something. Ron eyed him wearily as he face showed the same un-sureness as Harry's.

Ron gazed at Hermione for long moments while she ate. He gazed at the grace of her gestures, her simple beauty, her way of dazzling him. She looked at him suddenly. He flashed her a quick smile and she smiled and went back to eating. He closed his eyes for a moment before looking at Harry. He shook his head at his best friend and Harry gave him a questioning look. Ron shook his head againand went back to eating with a trace of sadness on his features. After breakfast Hermione went to her first class while Harry and Ron hung back a little in a quiet corridor.

"Ron, why didn't you let me ask her for you?" Harry questioned almost immediately.

The red-haired wizard seemed to struggle for a response. "It didn't. . feel right. I don't think she feels the same way, Harry, after all, why would she? She's so smart and beautiful. . ." he said quietly.

"Well, at least now I can see she doesn't like you that way," Harry said bluntly and shocked Ron into looking up at him. "She won't like someone who pities themselves and doesn't have the backbone to ask her out," Harry said soothingly.

"I'll do it sometime, I just don't know when," Ron said with renewed determination.

"That's the way to be," Harry said cheerfully and the two began to walk to their class.

__

Harry's right, Ron thought silently. _I need to be willing to take more chances if I'm ever going to get her to notice me. I'll do it soon, I'll ask her out soon._

_______

Hermione Granger looked out the window, she had vanished a piece of the wall to make it, in her dormitory. The sky was beginning to darken as night set in and the sun's rays became fewer and fewer. The rays that were left made the sky glitter in a tumult of pastels. Hermione leaned on the stone opening and peered deeply into the glowing sky. As she gazed deeply into the sky, her thoughts raced through her head in a haphazard manner. It would happen soon. . .

Severus Snape would be going to see Lord Voldemort soon. She knew it. She had begun watching him even more closely since the last meeting. She needed to watch him, otherwise how would she know when and where to follow him?

She had begun devising the plan quickly and efficiently as soon as she heard news of her parents' worsening condition. Despite how tempted she had been to scour the Earth until she found them, she had waited and was still doing so. But it would be any day now. Snape had rubbed his left forearm earlier today. She concluded that that must mean it was getting close to the time of his next summoning.

Even though her plan was well thought out, she was still dreadfully nervous. The thought of seeing the most powerful being, second only to Dumbledore, could make one slightly nervous. . . But Hermione knew it was the only way she would be able to secure her parents' safety. And they meant so much to her. . .

She gripped her wand unconsciously. She had been studying many curses, hexes, and other spells which were both defensive and offensive. She had also brewed several healing potions that would help both her and her parents, for she was sure they were malnourished and might have suffered under the Cruciatus Curse.

That frightened her. Hermione had always known Voldemort to be an avid user of the Three Unforgivable Curses. She also knew that Harry had suffered under them more than once, just like she. That was part of the price she paid for being so close to him, it endangered her and those close to her. At one of her low points she had actually considered giving up her friendship with Harry. But that thought had been quickly extinguished.

All she had had to do was imagine him, Harry, all alone, forced to fight the murderer of his parents, the murderer of hundreds of others, the one who had thrown so many lives, including his own, into disarray. She was worried about him, almost motherly so. He was nervous, worried, scared, and was probably experiencing many other emotions, too - but, who wouldn't? - facing the greatest the evil that the wizarding world had ever seen? She could barely imagine what it was like for him now, surrounded by his friends and everyone who cared about - what would happen if all those people began to move away from him and leave him to fight his, and theirs, greatest fear on his own?

She didn't even want to think of her best friend alone, before a being so immersed in the Dark Arts that he no longer was considered human. She shivered as the cold night air came into the room. She undid her Vanishing Spell on the window and went over to stroke the fire.

Any day now. . . But at least she was prepared.

________

"Hermione, have you finished with that batch, yet?" Severus asked her.

Hermione scrutinized her potion. "Almost, I think it just needs a bit more salamander's tail."

"Not too much," he advised as he began to bottle his own potion.

"Right," she murmured, carefully measuring the bit of salamander's tail so it was a tenth of an inch. She dropped it in the bubbling potion and stirred slowly, counter-clockwise. Exactly thirty seconds had passed when she had begun to bottle her own potion. As she scooped the gray potion into the vials, she watched Snape as he paused in between filling the vials to rub his arm. Though Hermione was not exactly gleeful to see him be summoned again it, however, did provide her the chance to follow him and help her parents.

She had placed a Tracking Spell on him during her Potions lesson earlier that day. He had stiffened and eyed the class warily, but probably since he wasn't sprouting any new extremities, he continued teaching the class. She had been, and still was, relieved that he hadn't known which spell that was cast on him and who had cast it. She had no doubt that he would be furious with her and have her demoted in the Order of the Phoenix.

But she couldn't have that. She had worked too hard to find out the new information that was being presented to her. She needed to use it. Not only to save her parents. . .but others too. . .

Hermione closed her eyes tightly and ran the plan through her head again. It really was a simple plan - to her - to others, its complexity may have been out of their reach until they did much more research than she. It was a dangerous plan. But she was not concerned for herself. She just wanted to help save those around her and her parents. That was all that mattered to her.

It didn't matter if she perished or suffered under the Cruciatous Curse. Or even the Avada Kadavra. . .But she wouldn't let herself be controlled by the Imperius Curse. Never. She would never be controlled. Turning traitor to the ones she was trying to save was not her idea of a good rescue mission.

Hermione opened her eyes and revealed brown orbs that shimmered from the heat her potion was emitting. Sighing softly, she tried to concentrate more on bottling her potion. A few minutes later she had completed the task. Filling a crate with the vials, she set it in the back of the room on a long table.

"Done."

Severus checked a clock on the wall. "Right on schedule. Are you going to go back to your dormitory?" He asked.

"I suppose unless you have something else for me to do?" Hermione asked trying not to sound hopeful that he had another task for her.

Severus's eyes flitted around the room before resting on the storage closet. "Would you like to help clean up?" He asked while she nodded, strode past him, and opened the storage closet. While her back was turned to him, he let a small smile grace his lips, though it disappeared quickly as she turned around and handed him a broom.

Hermione held her own broom tightly in her hand as she handed him his own. Their fingertips brushing slightly, she felt a bit of electricity course through her. Fighting to keep herself from blushing, she turned back around and tried to retrieve the dustpan that was at the top of the storage closet. When she failed to be able to reach it, she began to lower her arm, but suddenly felt another arm reaching past hers. She just managed to suppress a gasp when she felt Snape's body lightly touching her. Hermione felt him against her and smelled a scent of maple walnuts and soap, almost like a detergent scent of soap.

Severus watched Hermione stretch up to the top of the closest, standing on the tip of her toes, still unable to reach the item. Walking up to her, so he was just barely touching her, he reached up past her arm, which was already in midair, and retrieved the dustpan. Immediately backing away, he saw her turn towards him with cheeks tinged scarlet.

"Severus, why don't you use magic to clean the room?" She asked as the scarlet on her cheeks began to subside.

"I use more than enough magic to clean the room throughout the day to clean up messes like exploded cauldrons, it feels nice to clean up using my hands," he said, beginning to sweep.

"Ah," she said, slightly amused. "So you _do_ prefer Muggle ways." She also began to sweep.

He grunted. "Not quite. I simply prefer to feel like I'm using my hands every once in a while."

"Sure you do," she murmured playfully.

"I don't suppose you tease your other professors, too?" 

"Nope, just you," she giggled. "You're special." She said before she realized what she had said and blushed a deep crimson, glanced at him, then made her gazes remain at the ground. Severus, however, kept his gaze on the ground the entire time.

Such a long time seemed to pass to Hermione, though fewer than the hours she had felt like passed did. After she had recovered from her comment, she periodically glanced at him. Twice she found him rubbing his arm more fervently than the previous time. Tonight. It will definitely be tonight.

After they had finished cleaning the room, Hermione began to walk toward the door.

"Severus, are we going to start on the next batch of potions tomorrow?"

"No, I don't think we will. I will show you a new potion on Monday." 

"Which one?" Curiosity hit Hermione as she tried to linger as long as she could in the room.

"I'll show you on Monday," he said slightly gruffly while rubbing his arm.

"Alright. .Bye. ." She turned, picked up her bag, and left, striding down the corridor quickly. She stopped and hid in a closet close to a secret exit of the school, one that she had seen Severus using before.

The minutes passed slowly as she began to wonder if Severus was going to go tonight. After all, he hadn't the previous two nights. . .Hermione waited an additional twenty minutes before finally hearing distinct footsteps treading quickly down the corridor.

She listened carefully as the footsteps became louder as they came closer to her. She held her breath as the steps passed her. She waited until they became soft before stepping out of the closet. She blinked as her eyes adjusted to the complete darkness around her. She couldn't make out anything, not even any shapes of objects, so she whispered "_lumos_," and surveyed her surroundings.

She walked slowly at first, then more quickly as she heard Severus's footsteps fading. The corridor around her was fairly wide for a hidden one, about five or so feet. The ceiling also rose higher than more hidden ceilings, about seven feet. Hermione gazed around in slight wonder because all the other hidden passages she had used with Harry and Ron were usually small and difficult to move through, rarely were they this large.

"Figures," she murmured without spite. "Dumbledore would make sure Severus was accommodated."

Hermione continued to walk at a brisk pace, but slowed as she saw a dull glimmer ahead. She moved to the side of the wall as she neared the light. 

"_Nox_," she whispered. Quieting her steps, she squinted to see ahead. It was dark with only a little bit of what she guessed was moonlight, shining through into the dankness of the tunnel. She moved a few feet closer and was able to see a white orb staring back at her. She clapped a hand over her mouth to stifle a gasp.

The white orb staring at her was really her Potions professor hiding his face behind a pearly white mask with slits for eyes and an oval opening for his mouth. Hermione stared back at him, her wide brown eyes unable to look away. His masked face was framed, not by his raven strands, but by a black cloak with the hood pulled upon his head.

She finally squeezed her eyes close and turned her face away, unable to bear the face of the Death Eater with obsidian eyes that glinted in the moonlight. She waited several moments before taking a shuttering breath, opened her eyes, and looked back at Severus. Blackness.

He wasn't there. He had already left. She rushed forward, desperately trying to find him. Her eyes widened in surprise as she soon found herself in the Forbidden Forest. She looked around, baffled by the dangerous beauty of the forest. The tall, emerald trees reached amazing heights as vines hung low on them and various creatures were heard skittering around. She glanced around, trying to see anything that could be dangerous to her. But she only heard the sounds of the creatures that dwelled within the forest. She gripped her wand tightly in her hand and made a circular motion.

"_Sa Triake Severus Snape_," she whispered as a small glowing circle took shape before her and began to glow with various dots and designs. It was a map that she could summon and have it reveal where Snape was. She looked at it closely before she apparated.

_________

Hermione felt the world spin around her for only a second before she felt the ground rock unsteadily beneath her feet. She opened her eyes slowly, as she had never been fond of apparation with open eyes, being able to see two spinning worlds made her nauseous. Taking a step that confirmed that she was no longer in the folds of the dark forest, she took in the world around her.

It was dark, even with the faint moonlight, and it was dusty. Hermione bent low to the ground as she heard footsteps closing in around her. Her heart beat quickly and the blood pounded in her ears. She sat hunched on the heels of her feet, ready to spring into attack at any moment. Her fists clenched against the sand beneath them, her right hand holding her wand in an inseparable grip.

She felt her breath stutter to a halt as she saw waves of black hooded figures approaching her. They all wore the same mask and cloak combination as Severus did. She felt their presence overwhelming as they came closer. She stood up, still and straight, careful not to leave footsteps in the sand for they could give her away even if she was wearing an invisibility cloak.

The Death Eaters stopped just feet before her and they immediately began to form a circle around her. Hermione looked at them as they each moved to a seemingly assigned place. They circled around her with about ten in the inner part of the circle, closest to her, then the outer layers of the circle grew wider as more Death Eaters stepped into their places. With bated breath, she looked at them expectantly. They seemed to be waiting for something, staring into the center of the circle, almost _at _her, but, no, they were staring _through_ her. She wondered why for only the briefest of seconds before the world around her suddenly turned cold and she felt evil and death all around her. Her world suddenly seemed hollow and depressed as she began to relive the night she was walking alone in the dark corridor and saw Graham, waiting. . .

__

No! Don't do this! That's. .It's over! He isn't here now! Her mind screamed at her as the world that had begun to lose focus suddenly came back into focus. She realized what had made her feel that emptiness was still in her. Beyond the depths of the Death Eaters stood hundreds of Dementors, filling the outer parts of the circle in the desert. The shockingly cold air seemed to have no affect on anyone - Dementor or otherwise. 

Hearing a sudden rustling of cloaks, she turned slowly and felt the supremest hatred for the being that stood feet from her.

Lord Voldemort. He also stood in a black, hooded cloak, that, though it hid most of his body, his piercing eyes of a bright, ominous red. Death Eaters and Dementors alike bowed to the ground before Lord Voldemort. Voldemort stared at her with obvious contempt for the world and she felt herself shrinking, desperately wanting to hide from the world, and desperately wanting to hide from _him_.

But she couldn't move. Whether she could physically perform the task or not. Either way it didn't matter, Voldemort stood before her, and Death Eaters all around her. One false move and her life, and others would be gone in what she suspected a most painful way. Bracing herself for what was to come, she stood stock-still.

"My Death Eaters, welcome," Voldemort spoke in a deep, drawling tone. "The final plans will be put into place soon," he said. "And then the world will be pure once more. No more mudbloods to worry about. Nothing except those of absolute purity of blood will live into the New World. Now, the Reports." He said and then a man began to speak slowly.

"The ministry is losing force, my Lord. Fudge is still unsure of what to do now that you, my Lord, have come back into power. However I still believe that he is far from going to Dumbledore for help. The foolish man believes he can bring down the greatest wizard who has ever lived himself." A Death Eater who Hermione did not recognize said before resuming his silent disposition.

"I see, and are you enforcing this belief of his?" Voldemort questioned coldly.

"Of course, my Lord."

"Well done." He said before the person spoke and the next, and then the final person of the Inner Circle that was formed closest around Lord Voldemort.

"Dumbledore is still being naive." Hermione felt her stomach flip. "I believe that he may have the Order of the Phoenix working on a weapon, but he does not seem to want me close to it. My duties to the Order are small and irrelevant to their cause." Hermione instantly became wary of this Death Eater. He sounded familiar, but with such a cold and distant voice like all the others, it was difficult to tell them apart.

"He still does not trust you?" Voldemort sounded irritated.

"He still does not. I believe that the disappearance of the mudblood's parents has only heightened his vigilance, my Lord." Hermione saw Voldemort become more and more wary of the Death Eater.

"Snape, your job was to find a way to get a senile wizard to trust you with information. You succession of failures makes me weary." Voldemort's cold voice said as he began to raise his wand hand. Hermione shook her head slowly. Voldemort couldn't do that to Snape. He couldn't just _kill_ anyone who didn't complete their set task! She felt her heart skip a beat. Voldemort's arm was parallel with the ground and aimed at Snape. 

"Snape," he said softly, "It is time to remind you of what it feels like to fail the Dark Lord." Snape flinched but said nothing.

__

"Crucio," he whispered and Snape immediately fell to the ground and began to writhe in pain. But he did not say anything or scream out. Hermione watched him claw at the ground in a desperate attempt to rid himself of the torture within. She watched as her heart stopped beating and her legs began to move with such quickness that the hood of the invisibility cloak flew off as she ran in between Severus and Voldemort. She ran in between the two, her cloak coming completely off and her hair flying from the magic rushing at Snape.

Lord Voldemort broke off the attack on Snape's body and leered at Hermione in silent calculation. Snape, breathing raggedly, looked up at Hermione with trepidation and surprise. But Hermione stood still with her arms spread out in a defensive stance. She met Voldemort's glare with darkened brown eyes and her hair settling onto her shoulders in a freestyle fashion.

"Severus, you brought a friend?" Voldemort's voice sounded distinctly angry and calm at the same time, which made Hermione's skin crawl in fear.

Snape coughed into the ground seemingly trying to recover himself from the brief assault. Hermione still stood between the two, her arms spread out in the protective stance. She dared to turn her head and look at Snape.

"Answer me," Voldemort hissed.

"N-No. .I did not bring her. She is a student from the school, one who shows skill in rule-breaking." He said through gasps for air. Hermione held her breath as she turned her head back to Voldemort feeling a pain swell within her at the sight of Snape in such a weakened state.

Voldemort's bright red eyes narrowed to slits and Hermione saw his anger growing. He wasn't finding out what he wanted. . .

__

Occulemency! Hermione quickly remembered. Snape was skilled in the art to protect the truth of what he was doing from Voldemort. Voldemort was also skilled in the art but he couldn't break Snape's barriers. 

__

That's what he was doing! Everything seemed to click for her. The _only_ reason why Snape was still on the ground was because he was trying to form stronger barriers so that Voldemort wouldn't find everything out.

She instantly regretted coming. She could only be a weakness to Snape, and he needed to use everything he had to trick the Dark Lord. And now she was about to ruin everything. . . Struggling to regain her composure, she glared at one of the strongest wizards in existence. She needed to save Snape. He was too vital to the defeat of the Dark Lord. 

__

Too vital. . . She repeated those words to herself even as she spoke.

"You bastard," she said quite clearly to Voldemort. That switched his attention fully to the witch before him.

He eyed her just like she had seen him eyeing Snape except an excitement showed on his features before long. She swallowed thickly but kept her gaze on Voldemort. She could feel it. . .There was no defense, not for her. . .She was vulnerable, open to any and all attacks of the mind. 

__

No, her mind growled. She wouldn't let him in. She couldn't. She knew too much.

Concentrating on blocking any attempt to break into her mind, she began to fight back with her mind. Maybe she couldn't stop him from reading completely into her mind, but maybe she could stop him from delving into the secrets of the order. Hermione struggled desperately against the assaults of the most powerful dark wizard. 

"No. . ." She whispered as she began to fall to her knees. He was too strong. He was overpowering her mind. She couldn't withstand it, not even resist a little. She began to fall forward. 

"I can't. . ." The last words were caught in her throat as she saw the corners of Voldemort's mouth turn up greedily before she hit the ground.

__________

"Hermione! Hermione! Please, wake up!" Desperate voices called into Hermione's unconsciousness.

__

No. . .I don't want to move. This just feels so. .so awful! Hermione's unconscious screamed inside of her before she woke.

"Wha- ur!" Hermione sputtered as she sat straight up then leaned back on her elbows as the world almost faded to black again. Something was wrong. Something felt horribly wrong. She felt cold all over.

"Hermione!" a brown haired woman rushed her and gathered her into one of the tightest hugs she had ever felt.

"Hermione," a man stood beside the woman's kneeling body.

Blankness showed in Hermione's eyes before a startling realization hit her and she hugged her mother back.

"Mum! Dad!" She cried into her mother's shoulder.

"We thought we would never see you again!" Her mother cried.

"I can't believe you are still alive. . ." Hermione trailed before standing up with her mother close beside her. She quickly surveyed the area quite aware that she was currently at Voldemort's mercy. That, however, did not show in the surrounding area. It seemed to be the same desert area she had originally apparated to. But that was what she couldn't figure out - if Voldemort really did take her like he did her parents, then wouldn't they be in some sort of cage or something?

"Hermione," her father repeated before wrapping his arms tightly around her and weeping softly into her shoulder. Hermione felt her own eyes moisten but couldn't keep her full concentration on her father. Something still felt horribly wrong.

"I thought you were dead at first. . .then. .you moved. ." He continued to weep. "It has been so hard without you. . .being taken like that. . .being told. .t-told. .you were. . ." He didn't finish as Hermione embraced him firmly.

"I'm fine, Dad, and you will be too. Don't worry," She said softly wishing there was more truth in her words.

Her father released her from the embrace with shining eyes but he was no longer crying. Hermione wondered how difficult it must have been for her parents if her father had started crying. . .She shivered. It must have been too difficult, she would never wish whatever Voldemort did to them on anyone. She needed to save them, soon. She had to. She had learnt special spells for this occasion, when she would be trapped in Voldemort's grasp.

She had already begun to set the trap. Even with Voldemort now suspecting Severus of treason, she had to go through with her plan. She just had to.

Steeling herself, she gazed mournfully at her parents before stepping back.

"Mum, Dad, I'm going to get you two out of here, but for that I need you to trust me, okay?" she asked, slightly worried that they wouldn't.

"W-What do you mean, Hermione?" her mother questioned. "You won't do anything drastic, will you?" Her eyes became wide with the potential horror.

"Nothing too bad," she soothed. "Just enough to get everyone out."

"Promise me. Promise me that you won't get hurt?" her mother demanded with such confidence that outweighed Hermione's.

"I promise," she said, scarcely above a whisper, as if afraid to make such a simple lie, comprised of only two words, that could mean so much to someone that has so little left.

"Thank you," her mother said softly before turning to embrace her husband.

"Mum, Dad, why haven't you two left this area?" she asked suddenly.

"We can't," her father answered, regaining some of his former strength.

"You. .can't?"

"No," He shook his head. "There is a barrier around this area. At least I think there is. . .We haven't been able to leave this area."

Hermione scrutinized the dusty area around her. Something glinted in the sunlight. She saw it. She saw the force field. It reflected just barely against the sunlight. "Voldemort," she scowled. Her parents barely had a ten-foot radius to live in. She walked towards the invisible barrier. She suddenly felt cold again. She felt like she could barely breathe with the sudden bitterness surrounding her.

"Good luck, Hermione," her father said softly, tightening the embrace he had around his wife.

Hermione almost wept at the sight of such fear and acceptance of that fear in her father's eyes. She murmured a goodbye, too sad to speak louder. 

Murmuring a simple spell she was able to apparate through the force field. She was filled with a deep feeling of dread as to what she could possibly face on the other side. Though it crossed her mind that it may have been too easy for her to escape, the thought was quickly gone once she saw what she was faced with.

Dementors. Death Eaters. There must have been at least thirty of them! Surveying quickly, she gathered that they were mostly Dementors and few Death Eaters. She swallowed hard and tightened her grip on her wand.

"You are to see the Dark Lord," one Death Eater, in the center in the semi-circle that stood twenty feet from her, commanded.

Hermione cursed silently. There were too many. Too many Death Eaters. Too many Dementors. Hermione struggled to stay conscious as the Death Eater who spoke to her came forward. The Dementors' presence weighed heavily in the air.

"You are to see the Dark Lord _now_." The Death Eater repeated with much emphasis.

She didn't know how to do it. She couldn't do it. She had come so prepared. She planned for Dementors, after all, she was still conscious, wasn't she? She had prepared for Death Eaters. She wasn't cowering, now was she? But she had also prepared for Voldemort. But how could she really stand up against him?

Hermione backed up a few steps as the Death Eater neared her. She couldn't see herself going against Voldemort now. She was so unprepared. She had so much more to do. So much more to do. . .

The Death Eater was within a few feet and glared at her with ominous eyes behind the pearly white mask.

So much more to do. . . How could she have let all that time slip by her when so much more still needed to be done?! She berated herself mentally.

The Death Eater stood before her and extended his cloaked arm.

It was now or never. She had to do it. She needed to save her parents. She needed to save Severus. . .

Maybe it was she who could help change the tide of the war.

She did not back away any further from the Death Eater and let him to clamp a hand tightly on her upper arm and apparate.

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Author's Notes:

Omg! I'm so sorry everyone! I really want to get this chapter out sooner, but I was having a difficult time writing it and liking what I wrote. I'm still not completely happy with it, but it will do because it is only the first half of this chapter. Nevertheless, I hope everyone enjoyed this installment and look out for the next installment. Part B will include a clash between Hermione and Voldemort…

Thank you to everyone who has reviewed and waited patiently!

In return for your patience, I will give you a glimpse of two upcoming fics by me.

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In the Moonlight

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This was a new type of sorting that Professor Dumbledore rarely employed, but he felt it necessary this time. So many of his staff did not have a life mate. That bothered him because he wanted them to be happy and didn't want them to remain at Hogwarts their entire lives. So, with that, he brought out a dark, ruby-colored hat. He presented it to the staff, and they all eyed it wearily except for two. Hermione Granger, Charms professor, looked sufficently annoyed while Severus Snape, Potions professor, looked bored and irritated. Both seemed to hold some amount of resentment at the Headmaster. Both suited each perfectly. But it was up to the hat to decide if they were to be.

Progress: 1500 words

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One Past Thrice

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This fic is a (possibly) long synopsis of when the Maruaders, Lily, Snape, and all the others attended Hogwarts. This will show the growing relationships within the characters and the impending doom of the Dark Lord. This fic will start during the group's 1st year and end sometime around when Lily and James are supposed_ to die. I will try to stick with the original outline that J.K. Rowling hinted at in her series, but I will take some liberties *grins*_

Progress: 2000 words

Side note: This is going to be a long, chaptered fic that I'm not going to upload until I finish up this fic until _Healing Sorrows_ or one of my other chaptered fics are done. 

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Last AN: I need a beta to beta the next chapters of _Healing Sorrows_ and preferably my other fics, if you can. Is there anybody out there who would be interested? If so, e-mail me at _marcie@stny.rr.com_ or leave your e-mail address in you review.


	12. Part II: Lasea Exlium

Moments later Hermione stood twenty feet from Lord Voldemort, almost sick with fatigue at the number of Dementors and Death Eaters standing behind him.

"_Lasae Exlium_," Hermione whispered as she stared at Voldemort.

Voldemort's bright red eyes gleamed. "Welcome Hermione Granger," he whispered silkily. The Death Eater clutching her arm let go and went to his place behind Voldemort.

Hermione glared at the fear of the entire Wizarding world. "You will pay," she hissed.

Voldemort smiled mockingly. "I do not think that will be happening, Hermione Granger." his powerful gaze directed at Hermione made her feel weak and lowered the little confidence she could gain to almost nothing.

"What do you want?" she tried to muster her courage up once more.

"What do I want?" he repeated. He leaned forward barely an inch but Hermione felt herself get hit in the face with his power. "I want this world. I want this world and all other worlds. And you, Hermione Granger, are key to that. Now, bow to me and revel in my greatness!" he roared intentionally sending a weak version of the Imperious Curse to her.

Hermione felt herself grow weak and enter a dreamlike state. Her eyes became glassy as temptations were whispered in her ear. A cloaked figure in the line of Death Eaters behind Voldemort fought not to move; struggling against every instinct that told him to help Hermione.

She felt warm. . .She didn't wanted to leave this place. . .this dream. . .

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"Bow. . .Bow to me and you shall be spared. Become mine and save all that is dear to you."

Hermione squeezed her eyes shut and forced herself not to succumb to the sudden desire aflame within her. She listened carefully wanting only to fulfill her sudden desire.

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"Bow. . ."

But something told her not to. . .Something said not to. Something said she had a purpose, a pure one. One that she couldn't stray from, no matter the temptation.

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"Now. . .Bow before me. . ."

She forced her eyes open with sudden clarity and felt an energy pour from her and surround her.

"Never!" she screamed and the energy flared up to the sky in a sudden release. She panted as the energy didn't return to her, instead, flew to some unknown destination.

A grin encompassed Voldemort's face. "Just like him. You are just like him." his eyes laughed in utter joy. "I never realized that I would be able to have this much fun. I thought Harry was the only one who could withstand my weakest strikes. But, no, there is another!" he glared almost happily at her. "However, this one doesn't even begin to measure up in power!"

Hermione backed up a step, terribly frightened for a just a moment. _No, I can't let him do this to me. I need to stand strong and face him. Everyone else might not be here, but I can do it. I can do it at least long enough to transfer the information to Dumbledore. I hope he read the note. . ._

The young witch stood suddenly straighter and much stronger. She looked at Voldemort with such a vengeance in her eyes that it might have rivaled even some of the Dark Lord's most angered enemies. Then she tightened her grip on her wand. 10 ½ inches, rowan and phoenix feather, pliable. Her wand had been of great help to her many times before and she hoped it would not fail her this time. She narrowed her eyes and moved her right foot back barely a step. Voldemort cast an amused glance at her and let his wand arm rest idly at his side.

With his defenses down a little due to his lack of confidence in her, she sprang into action. She quickly shouted a paralysis curse knowing that it would miss. And so it did. The Dark Lord blocked it easily and stepped forward.

"Hermione, you couldn't have possibly meant that curse for me, now did you?" Hermione felt disgusted as she felt the words hiss through her head.

Without a reply she ran at him. "_Pholis Largta_!" she shouted the enlargement curse aiming for his wand arm knowing that if she could get rid of that she would stand more of a chance. Voldemort's grin grew smaller as he stepped to the side and motioned to several of his Death Eaters to come forward.

"I shall not waste my great power on a little mudblood, my Death Eaters, do with her as you wish," Voldemort said to three Death Eaters in the front line. The three Death Eaters, all clothed in black robes with white masks that had small slits, advanced towards her.

"What's the matter, Voldemort? Too weak to fight me?!" Hermione egged him on.

A small smirk played upon Voldemort's thin lips. "Bellatrix, Nott, Dolohov, enjoy." he ignored her taunt.

Hermione grimaced, how could she stand a chance against three high level Death Eaters? She bit her lip as they advanced.

"_Experillemus!_" Hermione shouted. Dolohov deflected the charm easily. Bellatrix looked at her hungrily. The dark witch that stood in front of her raised her arm and shouted a Levitation Charm.

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She wants to torture me in the air. . .when I can't do anything back to her! Hermione thought suddenly.

But before Hermione could defend herself, Nott shot a paralysis curse from about ten feet away on her left side. The young witch looked frantically at both spells coming at her. Time seemed to slow down. She needed to make a choice. She couldn't dodge. Once she was hit with either curse her assailants would attack her immobilized body. The paralysis curse would leave her unable to move on the ground while the levitation charm would also leave her to their whims, but in the air. She would be able to move with the levitation charm, but it would be hopeless, floating in the air, having nothing to even hold onto as she suffered from various curses. She gritted her teeth. One choice, paralysis or levitation?

A shield, she thought, would help deflect the attacks. Unless they were too strong and kept coming at her, rendering both her and the shield useless. One choice, her mind reminded her needlessly. The attacks were only a couple feet away. Their impending danger began to blind her. She needed to _think_! Think! Remember everything she had learned, remember everything she knew!

But no matter what she came up with, there was nothing that she could do quickly that could defend her. The curses she knew were much too long to be of any use at this point. Then it came to her. She could take one of the impending curses, but not both. She knew a curse of her own, it was a short one, it would be perfect. She stepped to her right, avoiding the levitation charm, but only a second left before the paralysis spell made contact.

"_Cis Tarnan_!" She pointed her wand at Nott and barely got out the spell before his crashed into her, sending her to the ground unable to move. Her arms were stiff and pinned to her sides as her legs became unmovable as she lay on her back on the dusty earth. But her grip on her wand never loosened. She squeezed her eyes shut and began concentrating on only leaving. She concentrated on leaving with her parents, but that wasn't enough. Nott still had his wand which meant she would remain paralyzed until either he relinquished his hold on her or he did not hold his wand.

But no matter how hard she concentrated on leaving with her parents, it still wasn't enough. She opened her eyes and her sight became blurred as she saw the three Death Eaters towering over her. A warm wetness trickled down the side of her face.

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No! I have to do this! I can't let them win! I need. .need to think of something else. Something stronger!

All of the sudden, out of no where, it sprang into her mind, clear as day. _Severus_. He had been the one she had been holding onto for so long, the one who let her live again. She needed him. She needed him to live; the very breath in her lungs depended upon his existence. She needed to leave with her parents _and _Severus. She needed to free him from his existence as a double agent. She needed to survive this for him. Hermione began to concentrate on nothing else other than Severus. She remembered his raven hair, greasy from spending hours over cauldrons; his obsidian eyes, darker and more mysterious than anything else she had ever seen; his quiet and authoritative voice which could break a person or bring her back to life.

With her thoughts consumed by Severus it took her a moment to realize that her body wasn't quite as heavy before and that there was something in her left hand. Breathing hard, she gazed blankly up at the three Death Eaters.

They glared back at her. Nott's eyes, especially, seemed to glow with a sudden and greater need for vengeance. Hermione struggled to get up, her limbs still a little stiff from the curse when Nott suddenly swung back his leg and kicked her in the side. The kick sent her rolling onto her stomach and she gasped for air. Hermione pushed herself up slowly, feeling the hatred of all those around her, feeling their gaze on her, their desire to come after her. As she finished standing up, she stood silent before Nott; a tall man at 6'4'', with light colored eyes that glared at her from beneath the mask he wore.

The two stood with a space of barely two feet between them. They looked at each other with stony expressions. That continued for several seconds, all while Hermione didn't have the complete realization that she was holding his wand.

"Nott," she said softly, breaking both of them out of their trance. "This is not your fight, this is your master's. However, if you choose to stand between myself and him, I will kill you." even as she spoke the words, they surprised her, but not because she was saying them, because they were true. And that frightened her. She was willing to kill, albeit given the right circumstances, but she was still willing to do it. After a little hesitation she dropped the wand to the sandy earth below.

"Mudblood-" Nott began to growl before Voldemort cut him off.

"Nott, Dolohov, go back to your spots, _now_." the servants obliged Voldemort's cold tone. "Bella, you are more than enough to handle this mudblood. Continue."

Bellatrix's face seemed to glow in anticipation. She smiled maliciously at Hermione.

"My fight isn't with you either," Hermione said softly, hoping Bellatrix would not fight her.

"A challenge to my master isn't taken lightly, as you shall soon find out!" Bellatrix Lestrange hissed.

Hermione felt her heart fall. She knew it wasn't going to work, but she had been hoping it would. Hope was all she seemed to have left. Hermione looked at the elder witch with sadness and determination. She didn't want any of this, but she was willing to complete everything she had set out to do. At this point what mattered most was the task she had to complete.

With her face suddenly hardening she raised her wand to Bellatrix. Without thinking, she just said the first curse that came to her.

"_Imperio_," she whispered. Bellatrix smiled for only a moment as she summoned a shield of magic to protect her. The elder witch thought the glowing shield would deflect the seemingly weak spell from her enemy but the shield failed. It broke and splintered pieces of magic fell to the ground as her eyes widened in shock and spite.

Hermione concentrated as hard as she could on sending a command to Bellatrix.

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Flee. Flee from Lord Voldemort's side. He is no longer your master. Disappear from here.

Hermione saw Bellatrix's face begin to strain against the curse.

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Go now! Run from here! Run from this terrible battle!

Without warning, Bellatrix disapparated and left Hermione alone. A wave of accomplishment passed over Hermione as she watched Bellatrix disappear. But that wave quickly crashed as she felt an arm suddenly wrap around her throat. The arm pulled back her neck almost to the breaking point. Hermione's eyes widened as her tilted head stared at a sickly amused Bellatrix.

Bellatrix let out a low cackle at Hermione before looking up to her master. "My Lord, what would you like me to do with her?"

The Dark Lord's face was expressionless. "Take her to the Morass."

Bellatrix's eyes lit up with a morbid happiness before she vanished with Hermione in her clutches.

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AN:

Wow, I'm really sorry about the long update. I honestly had no intention of not updating for such a long time. I wanted to add more to the chapter but I have been hitting such a writer's block that it has been nearly impossible to write. I apologize for such a short chapter and such a long update time. But I'm also sorry because I don't think I'll be able to update for a while again. With the stress of final exams and such it probably won't be until the exams are over. But I will try to work on this story and my other stories. I'm also (still) working on some of fics that I plan on uploading soon. So if you want more Hermione/Severus then keep an eye open :-)

Thank you to all of the reviewers who stuck with the story!


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